19 Magazine To Close After Current Issue

IPC Southbank has announced the imminent closure of its young women’s glossy 19 magazine with immediate effect.

The May issue of the magazine, currently on sale, will be its last. IPC blamed a shift in teenage reading habits for the closure, claiming: “The face of the teenage market has changed. The boundaries between the teen market sub-sectors have become blurred and sales patterns suggest that readership at the older, young women’s end appears to have migrated to the fashion and celebrity markets.”

According to IPC the title is no longer economically viable due to the shift in the teenage market.

Commenting on the closure Sandy Whetton, managing director of IPC SouthBank said: “The team on 19 is an extremely dedicated and talented one, and we have examined all options in the hope of providing the magazine with a viable commercial future. Sadly, none of these options were financially feasible and therefore we have had no alternative but to announce a cessation of the publication.”

IPC has issued reassurances that no more than 13 redundancies will occur as a result of the magazine’s closure and that attempts will be made to relocate those affected by the move.

19 magazine had suffered large circulation losses in the months preceding its demise, seeing a 26.2% year on year drop in circulation in the six months to December 2003.

The sudden announcement comes just weeks after Emap announced the closure of J-17, claiming increasing competition in the sector as the prime reason for its demise. The move marked the end of the magazine’s 20 year history, prompting Emap to focus all its attention on Bliss in an effort to retain a foothold in the notoriously fickle teenage market (see Emap Confirms J-17 To Close And Face Suspended).

IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipc.co.uk

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