FHM magazine shutting down in the USA

[jfall]

By Jeffrey Goldfarb
LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - UK magazine publisher Emap Plc (EMA.L: Quote, Profile , Research) on Wednesday announced the closure of the U.S. edition of FHM magazine because of the difficult advertising market.

FHM, which launched in the United States in 1999, had been guranteeing advertisers an average monthly circulation of about 1.25 million but the men's magazine lost money in the company's fiscal first half after revenue fell 20 percent.
FHM joins Elle Girl and Teen People on the scrap heap of youth-oriented U.S. magazines shut down this year by other publishers.

"Trading conditions in the U.S. market have deteriorated over the past 12 months and we do not expect an improvement in the near term," Emap said.

"In these circumstances we do not anticipate that the title would be able to trade on a profitable basis going forward," it added.
Largely devoted to photographs of scantily clad women and gadget reviews, FHM publishes about 30 editions around the world, including in Britain, France and Russia. The last published U.S. issue will be dated March 2007.

The FHM U.S. Web site, www.fhmus.com, will continue to operate, and other global editions of the print magazine are not affected by the decision, Emap said.

FHM began two decades ago as a men's fashion magazine called For Him. Emap relaunched it in Britain in 1994 under the FHM name.
Emap's international arm suffered in the six months to Sept. 30, swinging to a loss of 2 million pounds ($3.94 million) compared with 1 million of profit in the year-ago period. Revenue in the division was flat at 22 million pounds.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved

 

[AMDMaddness]

What happens when you have a sub till 2011? darn nice funny mag too, but I favor maxim over it anyway.

 

[Tsaico]

Yeah, my subscription was until 2032... And I agree with the above...

 

[daveymark]

have my free sub until 2054...IF past zine shutdowns are any indication, you'll get a free mag sub from another name for the remainder of this year's subscription.

 

[FoBoT]

sounds like you guys hot deal internet free subscriptions are to blame

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: daveymark
have my free sub until 2054...IF past zine shutdowns are any indication, you'll get a free mag sub from another name for the remainder of this year's subscription.

:shocked:

 

[cyclohexane]

Originally posted by: daveymark
have my free sub until 2054...IF past zine shutdowns are any indication, you'll get a free mag sub from another name for the remainder of this year's subscription.

how did you get 50 years of free subs?

 

[jtvang125]

I remember a few months back they had Janet Jackson on the front cover. I was like wtf, isn't she 50 or something already? Maxim is definitely better.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: cyclohexane

Originally posted by: daveymark
have my free sub until 2054...IF past zine shutdowns are any indication, you'll get a free mag sub from another name for the remainder of this year's subscription.

how did you get 50 years of free subs?

I've got about 10-12 without any effort. There was so many free deals around that stacked that anyone with no life and lots of free time could have easily gotten that amount and more.

What you'll get for all those years is exactly whast you paid for them: NOTHING! If anything they'll create a small passworded "subscribers only" area on their web site and give you free access for a little while.

 

[DrPizza]

They pretty much HAD to give away free subscriptions...
Guarantee to advertisers: "we will have 1.25 million subscribers to every issue"
Product: pictures of scantily clad women

Common sense: everyone with a computer and internet access can get all the pictures of scantily clad women they want; paying for a subscription is not necessary.

End result: the only way they can get new subscribers is to offer free subscriptions. Seriously, does *anyone* pay for a subscription to Maxim?

 

[trinketsummoner]

The UK version of FHM is FAR better than the US version.

 

[daveymark]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: cyclohexane

Originally posted by: daveymark
have my free sub until 2054...IF past zine shutdowns are any indication, you'll get a free mag sub from another name for the remainder of this year's subscription.

how did you get 50 years of free subs?

I've got about 10-12 without any effort. There was so many free deals around that stacked that anyone with no life and lots of free time could have easily gotten that amount and more.

It took a total of 30 seconds to sign up for each year online; less using autofill. so a total of 25 minutes at the most, spread over the span of about 3 years. Break that down to 8.33 minutes per year, or .69 minutes every month means I have "no life" and "lots of free time"?

Nevermind the fact that I most likely get more done in one day than you would in a month - your logic is flawed.

FYI, the way I was able to get 50 years is by combining accounts.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

one of the worst magazines ive ever laid eyes on

i feel like i got ripped off, and i didnt pay anything

if i were a tree id rather be turned into toilet paper than FHM

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: trinketsummoner
The UK version of FHM is FAR better than the US version.

Indeed. I never got why people in the US didn't like FHM (UK) as much as Maxim.

Here the UK FHM is great.

Koing

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
one of the worst magazines ive ever laid eyes on

i feel like i got ripped off, and i didnt pay anything

if i were a tree id rather be turned into toilet paper than FHM

qft. bout time it went under. rubish published for...rubish. sad that maxim will probably never fold...

 

[FrustratedUser]

I want my money back. A free subscription must be worth something right. Class act lawsuit anyone LOL. 😛

 

[Sheep]

Wow, I always thought FHM US was a sister publication to Maxim--at one point their styles were WAY too similar to not be done by the same publisher. I had no idea they were unrelated until now.

<-- Maxim subscriber.

 

[jcuadrado]

horrible news.....

 

[0roo0roo]

it was inferior to maxim, stuff this month is rather thin too, maybe they are going down too

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
it was inferior to maxim, stuff this month is rather thin too, maybe they are going down too

Just about to say that. I thought it was a small special issue to supplemnet their norm. But I guess they are on the way out as well.