Loaded Gets New Publishing Manager

IPC Ignite has appointed Andrew Sumner as the new publishing manager of its flagship men’s lifestyle magazine Loaded.

Sumner, who takes up the role with immediate effect, joins IPC from Emap Esprit where he was publisher of Slimming and Here’s Health. He replaces Richard Johnstone who was appointed publishing director of Wallpaper* last month.

Commenting on the appointment, publishing director, Eric Fuller, said: “Andrew is a hands on publisher with a real understanding of the men’s magazine market. He will play a major role in keeping Loaded at the top of its game.”

The men’s magazine market has had a rough ride recently, with the majority of the sector’s major titles seeing circulation decline (see Feature: Bringing The Magic Back To The Men’s Market). FHM and Loaded appear to be bearing the brunt of the downturn and according to ABC results for the sixth month period ending December 2001, have seen respective year on year declines in circulation of 20.4% and 12.1% (see NewsLine).

David Davies, editor of FHM, recently admitted that the lad’s mag craze was over (see Lad’s Mag Phenomenon Is Over), but this has not deterred former Loaded editor James Brown from entering the market with a new title, Jack, aimed at “intelligent men” (see NewsLine Column: Jack, Not For Lads?). Speaking at the launch of the magazine, Brown described existing men’s magazine’s as “corporate bilge” and said that Jack had been created be breathe new life into a sector that had become “stale” (see James Brown Unveils Jack).

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

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