Smash Hits To Close As Music Fans Move Online

Emap’s iconic teen music title, Smash Hits, is to close following a slide in circulations and poor advertising revenues, reports today suggest.

The magazine’s closure will not end the Smash Hits brand, however, with Emap retaining its TV and radio stations of the same name.

The magazine has seen its circulation slip by almost 52% over the past five years, with its current sales totaling 120,541.

Today’s announcement marks the end for the 28 year old title, which launched in 1978 and reached its peak circulation in 1989, selling 786,886 copies in the first half of the year. The final edition of the magazine will hit newsstands on 13 February.

Commenting on the closure, Marcus Rich, managing director of Emap Metro, explained that the lure of new technology had driven Smash Hits‘ core audience elsewhere. “This is an audience very much open to change and new technology and teenagers now get their pop news and videos online,” he said.

“Our teenage digital platforms are well established but they aren’t as advanced as, for example, the men’s market, so we’ll be developing them over the course of this year.”

Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk