EMAP Metro axes film title Neon

EMAP Metro has axed its niche film magazine Neon. The final issue will be in February. The title launched in Spring 1997.

The closure swiftly follows the launch of Heat, the division’s weekly entertainment magazine. But Jerry Perkins publishing director of music and entertainment titles denies the new magazine had anything to do with Neon’s closure.

He says: “Neon is a niche title and it was meant to segment and build the overall film market. It didn’t grow the overall film sector and the last thing we wanted was to publish a ‘me too’ to Empire.”

Neon recorded an average net circulation for the six-month period ending June 1998 of 40,147 compared to Empire’s 166,123.

Six full-time editorial staff will be affected by the closure, but Perkins hopes to place them within existing vacancies within the media group.

This is the third magazine affected since December, when Wagadon axed Deluxe (MW December 10). Subsequently,Dennis Publishing suspended the publication of Stuff in January (MW January 7) before selling the title to Haymarket and IPC closed Options last week.

Media Comment, page 14