News International to close Inside Out magazine

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 30-Jan-07, 11:00

LONDON - News International is to close its monthly home and style magazine Inside Out less than a year after its launch and a week after it shelved Project Dannii.

News International's magazine division, News Magazines, took the decision to axe the title last night, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The decision to close Inside Out leaves just one consumer magazine title, Love It!, in News International's magazine division.

Inside Out, which launched in March last year, has faced intense competition to establish itself in the home-interest sector and to date has never published a circulation figure.

News International confirmed the news and said it would redeploy "the time and money investment required in this sector" on a "less niche market".

Camilla Rhodes, chief executive of News Magazines, said: "Closing any title is always the last course of action but our business must focus on markets that can yield strong returns.

"The circulation success of our weekly launch Love it! and winning the largest publishing contract in the UK, Sky, points the way in which our business must develop. We will continue to focus on scale and frequency for our news-stand launch strategy."

News International said it would endeavour to find staff on Inside Out alternative employment.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.