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Computer Weekly and Microscope mags to be scrapped

by Scott Bicheno on 29 March 2011, 14:27

Tags: General Business

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Passé print

Reed Business Information is selling two of its best known tech titles - Computer Weekly and MicroScope - to US specialist tech trade publisher TechTarget, which plans to discontinue the print versions of the mags as soon as the deal is concluded next month.

This news coincides with the latest study into the UK online advertising market, which revealed a quarter of all the money spent on advertising in the UK now goes online. Print circulations and ad revenues have been in decline for some time, and it's becoming increasingly hard to make the print business profitable.

TechTarget's strategy seems to be to accumulate a stable of tech trade titles, and thus offer an advertising, events and lead-generation one-stop-shop for companies trying to influence IT managers and other enterprise IT decision-makers. Its biggest global competitor is probably UBM, although Incisive's Computing and CRN will be among the biggest competitors in the UK.

"ComputerWeekly.com and MicroScope.co.uk strengthens TechTarget's already high quality audience and substantial reach into senior IT decision makers in the UK," said Bill Crowley, international SVP at TechTarget. "TechTarget brings significant new opportunities to these properties with our history of developing audiences, lead generation expertise and our operational ability to execute multi-country guaranteed programs."

We have to assume this move won't be great news for the staff at Computer Weekly and MicroScope, although TechTarget has given no indication one way or the other about potential redundancies. It already runs a bunch of other enterprise technology sites in the UK, such as the catchily-named SearchVirtualDataCentre.co.uk.

 



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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We have to assume this move won't be great news for the staff at Computer Weekly and Microscope, although TechTarget has given no indication one way or the other about potential redundancies.
Surely if, as I read the article, TT are just changing from paper delivery to online, then there shouldn't be that many redundancies - because someone still has to generate the content!

Or have I misread the article and TT are planning to do what “Incisive Media” (b*****ds) did to Personal Computer World magazine and kill it. :(

That said, I've not read Computer Weekly for months now - used to really enjoy perusing it - especially the jobs pages. ;)
crossy
Surely if, as I read the article, TT are just changing from paper delivery to online, then there shouldn't be that many redundancies - because someone still has to generate the content!

Or have I misread the article and TT are planning to do what “Incisive Media” (b*****ds) did to Personal Computer World magazine and kill it. :(

That said, I've not read Computer Weekly for months now - used to really enjoy perusing it - especially the jobs pages. ;)

DTP specialists, sub-editors, circulation staff, etc. Also, the current editorial staff write for both print and online. It's possible the new owners will conclude the online presence will be maintained with fewer writers. It's also possible that the new company will use resources it already has in-house to generate content.
This is though, lots of redundant peeps in any print/journalism job to how fast the internet can provide an updated source of information, which clearly magazines and newspapers can't.
When dealing with the tech industry, its just not feasible to print a weekly publication. The industry is so quick to change, that on-line content is what its really all about.
bigsnake123
When dealing with the tech industry, its just not feasible to print a weekly publication. The industry is so quick to change, that on-line content is what its really all about.

True, but there are plenty of monthly mags which are still going strong(ish).

When I first bought mags regularly (starting with Amiga Format), the biggest draw was the coverdisk - a whole 1.32Mb of free stuff! (Demos, trials, and even full versions). They were pretty much the only source of news/info/reviews if you weren't in the industry, plus adverts for the 8 shops which actually stocked upgrades/peripherals.

Nowadays that is all freely available online, including all the free-/trial-/share-ware you could ever want, so there is no real need for magazines (weekly or monthly) - but I still occasionally buy one, just for something to read on the go (and on the loo). I should imagine all but the most specialist publications are struggling, and will continue to decline in readership - that's progress!