Music magazines Q and Planet Rock could soon disappear from the shelves of newsagents after German-owned company Bauer Media announced a review of its portfolio of UK print titles.
The magazines are two of 10 print titles that are currently under review with Bauer Media saying that the coronavirus crisis is speeding up the shift of audiences and advertisers to online media. The company – which also owns UK radio stations such as Magic and Absolute – believes that maintaining its current portfolio of print magazines will not be possible beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a review of its current portfolio, that will be carried out over the next month, Bauer is considering closing, selling, merging or moving to digital-only format the 10 named magazines. Q and Planet Rock are the only music-focused magazines under review.
"The pandemic and lockdown has further accelerated the trends already affecting the publishing industry," said Chris Duncan, the chief executive of UK Publishing at Bauer. "Bauer publishes nearly 100 magazines in the UK, and some titles that were already challenged, unfortunately, are not expected to be sustainable after the crisis. We must protect the long-term health of our business and ability to invest in future growth by re-shaping our portfolio."
Bauer Media has not specified how many staff might be affected by the portfolio review. Q, the most high-profile of the magazines under consultation, published its first edition in October 1986, while Planet Rock was founded in November 1999.
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