FHM Cease Publication...

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Publisher pulls plug on ailing FHM magazine
Craig Dixon
March 16, 2012 - 12:17PM
Read laterComments 75

FHM at the peak of its success in 2001.
The party's over, lads. FHM, the bloke-culture magazine that once revelled in a cocksure mix of sex, gags, grog and gadgets, has succumbed to rapidly rising indifference and called it a day.

Publisher ACP yesterday announced the May issue of FHM would be the last and the magazine's website would close at the same time. Redundancies are likely.

So far the company has refused to comment on the number of job losses, but a source has told BusinessDay that about 10 jobs are likely to go.

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Once dominant in the "lad's mag" market that emerged from Britain in the 1990s, FHM - For Him Magazine - shocked market observers when it shed half its circulation in the last six months of last year.

It was a long way from the roaring days when, after launching in 1998, FHM and its main rival Ralph enjoyed strong circulation based around sharply designed and written glamour spreads, humour, sport and lifestyle.

But the launch of the more downmarket Zoo Weekly in 2006, followed by the global financial crisis, growth of online content and a splintering of the men's magazine market into niche titles spelled trouble. Ralph died in 2010. Last year, FHM's circulation fell from 50,154 copies a month to 26,026.

In a statement yesterday, ACP Magazines said it was "endeavouring to redeploy employees, however some redundancies are expected".

"The decision to close a title is never an easy one and FHM is certainly no exception," chief executive Matt Stanton said.

"FHM is a terrific brand but, given the current market conditions, it has been difficult for ACP to make it a commercially viable proposition."

Further reading: Size doesn't matter. In a shrinking market, men's magazines try new models to stay on top

- with Chris Zappone

[pauljh74]

With broadband internet today, you can get the pics for free and any news is already a month old by the time the mag comes out. Same reason I stopped buying car magazines.

[wrongwaynorris]

No great loss .

[Mickxr8]

Kinda reminds me of the ol song "video killed the radio star" but now It`s interwebz killed the magazine

[GreenMachine]

Sad to see a big title go under, even though the lads-mag format was getting a bit tired.

I still don't think the internet will replace paper magazines for a good while yet. There's some good car content on the interweb, particularly technical stuff, but not a great deal that bring quality, variety or in-depth content.

Depends on what you're in to though. Street Machine will last a lot longer than news-type magazines like the V8 Supercars one.

[Feathers]

Encyclopaedia Britannica is also ceasing to publish print editions after 244 years.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news...315-1v41u.html

[BHDOGS]

never heard of it before but then again ive always had girlfriends so no need for those kinds of pics

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

never heard of it before but then again ive always had girlfriends so no need for those kinds of pics

it didnt contain "those kinds of pics" it was sort of like picture or people with scantaly clad rather than nudes, I didnt think it was a good read, and most of the rubbish in it was little more than those emails your mates send you, hardly worth paying for

[Lukeyson]

i got over buying that mag years ago, when it become 80% ads.

[Chopped]

You can't beat Google.....

[BigBlue]

I recall similar comments from the publishers when The Bulletin went out of circulation.
Much blame was leveled at the internet and declining standards of the readership and subscribers.

I read a copy someone left on a coffee shop table about three months before it went under and I instantly understood why the buyer left it behind!

It was some of the most poorly research and written "journalism" I have ever read. There was little analytical process and even less insight into current events and trends.
Extrapolation was little better than a wild guess in most cases and political awareness was sadly non existent.

It was the TT and Current Affair level of "journalism".
Hardly surprising they went to the wall.

Peter.

[Franco Cozzo]

Same thing with Zoo magazine, people buy them at work and its all stuff thats been circulating on the internet for ages, then there is a few scantily dressed women through the magazine which you can see better things for free on the internet if you wanted to anyways.

[onfire]

With the internet, and Zoo Weekly they would have seen it coming.

Then again, Zoo is really only good for a single long car ride and it's thrown away.

[trippytaka]

Originally Posted by onfire

With the internet, and Zoo Weekly they would have seen it coming.

Then again, Zoo is really only good for a single long car ride and it's thrown away.

Interestingly I was also at FHM when Emap launched ZOO. Staff were taken away to work on a "secret project" for 6 months. It was amazing, we all knew ZOO would cannibalise the market, but people were pretty much blind sided to a complete generational shift. It's not just the net, it's a different culture that has come through in the 18-35 male market.

[Kynan]

Most magazines and newspapers will become digital. Look at the HeraldSun... Charging people for access to online articles

Internets the craze now. What will be next?

[trippytaka]

I was Features and Motoring Editor there for three years - back when it was owned by Emap, not ACP. Back then (2005-2007) we sold 110,000 copies a month and beat Ralph by about 1,000 per month.

It was a lot of fun.

I am heading out to have beers with the old crew, and the new crew tomorrow night. A wake for what was an institution for a decade, and then got fisted by ACP and its ad-driven mentality.