Time Inc. UK has today (March 7) announced this week’s issue of NME will be the final free print edition. The news comes alongside the announcement of a raft of new initiatives, as the brand focuses investment on further expanding NME’s digital audience.
Speaking about the new strategy, Paul Cheal, Time Inc. UK group managing director, Music, said: “NME is one of the most iconic brands in British media and our move to free print has helped to propel the brand to its biggest ever audience on NME.COM. The print re-invention has helped us to attract a range of cover stars that the previous paid-for magazine could only have dreamed of.
“At the same time, we have also faced increasing production costs and a very tough print advertising market. Unfortunately we have now reached a point where the free weekly magazine is no longer financially viable. It is in the digital space where effort and investment will focus to secure a strong future for this famous brand.”
After the news broke, people took to Twitter to share their reactions to the end of an era:
NME closing the print edition. That absolutely breaks my heart. Working there was all I ever dreamed of as a kid. Working there was (at times, literally) a riot. Picking up a copy when I was thirteen changed my life like Nirvana changed my life or fanzines did. I’m heartbroken
— James McMahon (@jamesjammcmahon) March 7, 2018
Gutted to hear about NME’s last print edition. Followed it religiously as a kid and felt immense pride to have my work printed in those pages. Some brilliant people kept it going in the final years.
— Jamie Milton (@jamiemilton_) March 7, 2018
(My own thoughts are that NME was really good LONG after people said it wasn’t as good as it used to be, and I learned a lot working there, and at the end of the day fair play for trying the free thing instead of just shutting it three years ago.)
— Peter Robinson (@Popjustice) March 7, 2018
So sad the print edition of the NME has closed. The music press was the best way into the media for working-class writers - you got paid to write about what you loved! So hard to learn your craft and earn a living now it's all down to blogging.
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) March 7, 2018
Whatever your thoughts on NME recently it's a magazine which inspired many of us to get into music one way or another & a run of 66 years printing is incredible. Well done to all who played a part in that & thanks for giving us reason to start this label in the first place
— Big Scary Monsters (@bsmrocks) March 7, 2018
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