H Bauer Rumoured To Be Preparing New Men’s Weekly

German magazine giant H Bauer is reported to be readying an entry into the men’s weekly magazine market in the form of a new title codenamed Project Sue and headed by former Men’s Health editor, Simon Geller.

A spokeswoman for the publisher of Take a Break and That’s Life this morning strongly denied that such a title was being prepared for release. However, sources suggest the fledgling men’s weekly market is about to receive its third entrant, in a move that will further intensify the battle currently raging between IPC’s Nuts and Emap’s Zoo.

H Bauer said: “This is nothing more than a rumour that has been flying around. We have about four projects on the go at the moment but we don’t know which ones are ready if any. We always look at markets that are coming and we look at markets that are going. We always have projects and research under way.”

The speculation surrounding the men’s weekly magazine market follows news that Emap’s Zoo has seen its circulation increase to around the 200,000 mark. The reported climb puts Emap’s offering at its closest position yet to IPC’s rival Nuts, which is thought to have a circulation of around 225,000.

The launch of a weekly men’s lifestyle magazine would be a logical one for H Bauer, which currently publishes a range of women’s weeklies, television guides and puzzle titles. The company’s infrastructure is already geared towards the high-speed production operations required by such a title.

Earlier this year the company launched a glossy women’s monthly entitled Lounge, featuring a blend of puzzles, celebrities and competitions. The magazine claims to be an alternative to conventional women’s titles with gloom-free articles on the brighter side of life and £20,000 of prizes to be won in each issue (see H Bauer Unveils New Women’s Monthly Magazine).

H Bauer Publishing: 020 7241 8000 www.bauer.co.uk

Recent Magazine Stories from NewsLine ELLEgirl Secures Nivea To Sponsor Annual Model Search Total Film Secures Movie Partnership With Stella Artois Hachette Launches Sugar-Branded Programmes On MTV

Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive