From here: Soup :: When The Whip Comes Down: Cycle World For Sale :: 03-27-2009

When The Whip Comes Down: Cycle World For Sale
by dean adams
Friday, March 27, 2009

These shall be interesting times for the big glossy magazines. The edge having been taken off the economy has decreased ad-spending in colorful ex-tree products and at least one big publisher of motorcycle media has decided to get out.

Cycle World magazine, which has long claimed to be the largest motorcycle magazine in the world, is for sale, say numerous sources including Adweek.

Reportedly, ad page count at Cycle World is down over 30% since 2005 and "in the first four months of 2009, ad pages are down .. 18% at Cycle World".

As was shown with the sad death of Cycle magazine in the early 1990s, those same big subscription numbers which define "world's largest" are not exactly viewed as completely positive in a down market. Hachette, the same publishing company that currently owns Cycle World and killed off Cycle, viewed "servicing" Cycle's big subscription base an issue in the recession of the early 1990s.

Gigantic, glossy magazines once believed to be impenetrable are failing every single day, or moving to a web-only format in today's down market.

One news report on Cycle World wonders, given the current credit crunch, if they will be able to source a buyer.

MediaPost.com: It's an open question whether potential buyers of the Hachette titles will be able to secure funding for acquisitions, however. With global credit markets still frozen, money for the acquisition of distressed media properties like magazines and newspapers has grown scarce to the vanishing. In the enthusiast category specifically, Bonnier bought most of the Time4Media enthusiast titles from Time Inc. in January 2007, but this deal came in a credit environment that seems positively quaint today.

A non-sale would force Hachette into making some very difficult decisions at Cycle World, assuredly.

ENDS

__________________
2005 Suzuki Hayabusa Limited Edition - lots of mods
2007 Suzuki GSXR600 - wifebeater and flip-flops optional
2000 Honda CBR600F4 - outfitted with the NRC case cover of invincibility
http://www.gleno.net

Let's pool our money together and buy it. I got $100 on me right now. CASH!


How can they say no?

__________________
SCS Founding Member

Now as a question of etiquette, as I pass do I give you the ass or the crotch? - Tyler Durden

It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies. - Arthur Calwell

Common Sense Isn't Common


http://www.gleno.net

hope it all works out. i like reading peter egan, kevin cameron and mitch boehm's material

Same here... Peter Egan has always been a favorite of mine.

__________________
2005 Suzuki Hayabusa Limited Edition - lots of mods
2007 Suzuki GSXR600 - wifebeater and flip-flops optional
2000 Honda CBR600F4 - outfitted with the NRC case cover of invincibility
http://www.gleno.net

Not a fan of the american motorcycle magazines, they are very biased. Superbike Magazine FTW!

When times changes you have to adapt and change your business model. The economy was probably a catalyst, but it would have happened in time. Publications on paper (newspaper/magazines) don't have the latest information, require tress to be cut, and cost money. Why deal with that when I can get up to the minute information for free on the internet with less of an impact on the environment?

It sucks, but this is the way the world has been heading for quite some time. Maybe if EBooks were bigger they'd have more of a chance.

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'06 GSX-R 600

Ebooks are going to save a lot of magazines here in the future....yeah sure it is easier to get online and etc etc, but for those who love to read the entire magazine, ebooks are great.

I've got $45!

...although, if I recall correctly, some of those giant glossy Brit mags have boobies in them and stuff. If CycleWorld would just put some nekkid womens in there that'd solve their problems right quick.

Hell. That's what we are gonna do. We are gonna buy CycleWorld and put boobies in it.

We've got $145 so far. Let's do this!

__________________
~ Gleno 1961 - 2007 ~ Larger than Life. Hell yeah. ~

For boobies I'll kick in an extra $20.

Looks like I'll be the majority shareholder!

__________________
SCS Founding Member

Now as a question of etiquette, as I pass do I give you the ass or the crotch? - Tyler Durden

It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies. - Arthur Calwell

Common Sense Isn't Common


http://www.gleno.net