IPC's Uncut continues its rise as Q goes into reverse

Michael Byrne,, Brand Republic 12-Feb-04, 13:05

LONDON - IPC Media's music and movies monthly Uncut continues its run of good fortune as it remains ahead of rival Emap-owned Mojo with a 5.1% rise in circulation.

Uncut, which carries a covermount CD with each issue, recorded an Audit Bureau of Circulation figure for the July-December 2003 period of 111,167, a rise of 5.1% period on period and a year-on-year jump of 21.9%. It is pulling away from its closest rival Mojo, which recorded a period-on-period rise of just 0.8% to 104,437, a year-on-year increase of 4%.

Emap's Q magazine remains the market leader selling 161,634 copies a month. However, while it is safe at the top for the time being, it is continuing to slide, falling 6.3% period on period and 10.3% year on year.

On the weeklies front, IPC's NME has successfully seen off Emap nu-metal title Kerrang! for the top spot, rising 0.2% to 72,557 since the January-June ABCs but down 1.1% year on year. Kerrang!, which is being hard hit by a general move away from metal to a more indie-rock sound, dropped 1.6% period on period to 69,261, a plunge of 17.7% year on year.

The closure of new monthly Bang before it could record an ABC did not spell the end of bad news for Bath-based publisher Future. Its metal monthly Metal Hammer plummeted 18.4% period on period to 29,274, a year-on-year drop of 17.6%. Its mature rock title Classic Rock could hardly lift the spirits either with a period-on-period fall of 7.3% to 40,347, a year-on-year rise of 0.2%.

Bad news was also on the cards for the two remaining dance music magazines, a sector in decline for the past two years. Emap's Mixmag fell 5.7% period on period to 50,182, a year-on-year decline of 16.5%, while Highbury House-owned rival DJ dropped 10.3% year on year to 14,492.

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