Melody Maker To Launch On The Internet

IPC Music & Sport is to launch an internet microsite for its music magazine, Melody Maker. The magazine group is to continue its promotion of the magazine, which was revamped last year (see Melody Maker Unveils Radical New Look), with the launch of the site.

Located on the website of its sister publication, nme.com, the site will include the Melody Maker darts league, photo gallery and chat room. The publication saw a 20.4% drop in its circulation figures in the latest ABC audit (see Latest ABCs Show Few Highlights For Music Sector).

One of the Melody Maker staff involved in the revamp of the paper has just joined NME as its youngest-ever editor. Ben Knowles, who is just 26 years old, has been writing for the weekly for 18 months.

Publishing director Robert Tame said: “[Knowles] played a key role in changing Melody Maker form an old-established tabloid newspaper to a glossy magazine with a rising young readership. Ben has the vision and energy to ensure that NME retains its cutting-edge reputation for breaking new bands while reaching out to a new, media-savvy generation.”

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