FHM and Zoo magazines to halt publication

It was announced today that Bauer media have made the decision to suspend print and digital publication of both FHM and Zoo by the end of the year (The Guardian).

Lads mags from different publishers, including Nuts and Loaded, have also ceased to trade, which would suggest a decline in “lad culture”, although popular blogs The LAD Bible and Uni Lad continue to buck the trend.

A spokesman for Bauer Media said “about 20” jobs in FHM and Zoo’s combined editorial department were at risk, including the editor-in-chief, although advertising staff would not be affected. “Thank you for all your support – we will keep you updated with developments over the coming weeks”, it added.

Men’s lifestyle brands have been seen as particularly under threat, resulting in last year’s closure of Zoo’s closest rival, Nuts.

According to the statement released by the company, FHM saw a huge increase in sales in the ’90s (when the magazine went from a quarterly to a monthly), but even with its online arm and global editions, readership had declined steadily, making the publication unprofitable to run.

The magazine dominated the men’s market throughout the 1990s and compiled a yearly list of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has been won by stars like Michelle Keegan, Kelly Brook and Cheryl Cole.

It states that Sarah Michelle Gellar was the first to win the award 21 years ago – in 1999.

The end of an era..

Comedian Joe Lycett tweeted: “Very sad to hear that FHM and Zoo are closing and that all the people that bullied me at school will no longer have anything to read”.