FHM Bionic Goes Monthly
Men’s health and fitness lifestyle magazine, FHM Bionic, is to go monthly from September to compete with other men’s lifestyle titles.
FHM publishing director, James Carter, explained that FHM Bionic would fill the gap that currently exists in the older men’s lifestyle magazine market. He said: “Emap is an inquisitive company and understands the men’s market well. We are convinced that there is an opportunity for another monthly health and fitness based lifestyle magazine for men aged 29 and over. Men’s Health is the only magazine for men of this age group that sells more than 100,000 copies per issue and we feel that FHM Bionic can compete in this market.”
Launched as a biannual spin off from FHM three years ago, FHM Bionic has consistently sold over 100,000 copies per issue and hopes to increase this figure significantly when it goes monthly. Carter added: “We want to compete for readers in other men’s lifestyle magazines as well as in the health and fitness market, we hope to appeal to GQ and Esquire readers.”
FHM Bionic hopes to expand the older men’s market providing a title for readers of FHM, which sells 716, 679 copies per month, to grow into.
Emap have appointed Phil Hilton, previously managing editor of Men’s Health, to be editor in chief of FHM Bionic. From 15 July he will oversee changes in the magazine’s format and be responsible for increasing the title’s frequency.
Emap’s decision to produce monthly issues of FHM Bionic, comes at a time when the consumer magazine industry appears to be reaching saturation point (see Feature: Has The Consumer Magazine Industry Reached Saturation Point?). The latest ABC figures show that as well as witnessing a number of closures, the men’s lifestyle sector has seen a slump in circulation of 11,576 year on year.
IPC’s Later, which was also aimed at men too old for lads mags, closed last month as did Emap’s Sky. Cable Communication’s Mondo, folded in May, prompting concern that the older men’s market could not support additional titles.
FHM Bionic intends to avoid the fate met by its predecessors by staying focussed on health and fitness and not getting dragged too much into the uncertainty of the mainstream market.
Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk FHM: 020 7504 6228 www.fhm.com
Subscribers can access further information on Emap titles and other magazines by selecting “Press” from the drop down box at the top of this page.