LRO Magazine shutting down?
Discussion
A.J.M said:
Next issue will be its last as it’s “paused”.
But given how it’s been in decline for a while, it was rather inevitable really.
Shame as it was the better landy mag.
Incidentally, I saw a copy in the airport bookshop whilst travelling last week. No wonder it's struggling if its gone from the fat, glue-bound tome I used to subscribe to, to the wafer thin stapled sheaf I picked up in surprise at the shop!But given how it’s been in decline for a while, it was rather inevitable really.
Shame as it was the better landy mag.
GiveItSomeWellie said:
Been reading the mag since I was 10, subscribed to it for many years. Sad news indeed, obviously a much bigger blow for the staff writers, many of whom will be missed.
Will be interesting to see if any LRO staff members end up at LRM or any other LR publication?
There was a facebook post from James "RoverPhile" Taylor with the following:Will be interesting to see if any LRO staff members end up at LRM or any other LR publication?
Roverphile said:
I’m sad to say that an official announcement has been made by Bauer Media that publication of LRO magazine will be indefinitely paused (their words) and the last issue will be the one with a May cover date that goes on sale on 12 April.
There have been rumours about a major change for some time, and no doubt more information about the failure of alleged negotiations to sell the magazine will become available in due course. However, Bauer cite the primary reasons for their action as reduced sales, reduced advertising income (both of course caused by migration to online media) and increased prices of paper, printing and distribution. Essentially, there's no profit or not enough profit in it any more.
I rejoined LRO in 2012 after a period with other magazines, and during which I was Editor of Land Rover Enthusiast for nearly ten years. I first wrote for LRO in 1990.
I don’t yet know what will happen to my Roverphile column, which has been running for more than 25 years in various magazines and which I know is widely enjoyed. I hope it will survive somewhere, although I will not be receptive to proposals for major changes to the format.
To those I’ve dealt with and met through LRO, I’ll say a big Thank You. You now have one less demand on your hard-earned pennies every month, which may be a good thing; but you will also have one less Land Rover-related fix every month, which is not such a good thing.
Whether a market exists for any more new Land Rover magazines is something I don't know. However, wouldn't it be good if somebody created one devoted to the classic Defender in all its forms? Would you buy it? I'd certainly write for it!
It looks like there is no home as yet for the staff if this is the case - which is a shame because I for one loved the writing of James T, Neil, Jerry and especially the wisdom of Peter G. There have been rumours about a major change for some time, and no doubt more information about the failure of alleged negotiations to sell the magazine will become available in due course. However, Bauer cite the primary reasons for their action as reduced sales, reduced advertising income (both of course caused by migration to online media) and increased prices of paper, printing and distribution. Essentially, there's no profit or not enough profit in it any more.
I rejoined LRO in 2012 after a period with other magazines, and during which I was Editor of Land Rover Enthusiast for nearly ten years. I first wrote for LRO in 1990.
I don’t yet know what will happen to my Roverphile column, which has been running for more than 25 years in various magazines and which I know is widely enjoyed. I hope it will survive somewhere, although I will not be receptive to proposals for major changes to the format.
To those I’ve dealt with and met through LRO, I’ll say a big Thank You. You now have one less demand on your hard-earned pennies every month, which may be a good thing; but you will also have one less Land Rover-related fix every month, which is not such a good thing.
Whether a market exists for any more new Land Rover magazines is something I don't know. However, wouldn't it be good if somebody created one devoted to the classic Defender in all its forms? Would you buy it? I'd certainly write for it!
It's also interesting to see Bauer bleating on about reduced sales and rising costs. At the same time as I subscribed to LRO in 2003, I also joined Haymarket's Classic and Sports Car - which continues to go from strength to strength in terms of content, advertising and writing talent, with the magazine as thick as ever.
How have Bauer managed to f
k it all up where Haymarket have succeeded? I've seen a few FB replies saying the profit margins WERE there, just not big enough for the corporate greed.....The Land Rover market has changed from the traditional LRO readership.
The days of new builds of bobtailed Range Rover Classics, modified Defenders and Series are long gone.
Series models and Range Rover Classics are 'proper classics' now, and less likely to be modified. Defenders (not the new ones) are also prized secondhand items and also less likely to be home modified. If they are modified, they are expensive resto-mods.
This is a new type of buyer, for which the populist design, tone and style of LRO isn't what they really want. Existing readership are priced out of the cars, which means declining needs for parts companies, which is then a vicious circle of less advertising. Because LRO doesn't provide the richer, new type of classic Land/Range Rover owner, then the posh companies don't advertise either. That's why it's got thinner – a long way from it being Bauer's most profitable car title.
Of course, this was all made abundantly clear to management types over the years, but Bauer (actually, it goes back further to an EMAP mindset) cannot do premium product, preferring a pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap approach, selling on 'numbers of eyes' rather than 'quality of eyes'. Sadly 'numbers' isn't financially viable as printing and distribution costs have risen.
130 people in editorial were threatened with redundancy and several have chosen voluntary, as while changes are afoot, it's too little too late, despite numerous warnings from various staff members over the past ten years.
LRO could have been saved; the LRO Show could have found a new home. LRO could have pivoted to a different format. But there wasn't the belly for it. Shame.
The days of new builds of bobtailed Range Rover Classics, modified Defenders and Series are long gone.
Series models and Range Rover Classics are 'proper classics' now, and less likely to be modified. Defenders (not the new ones) are also prized secondhand items and also less likely to be home modified. If they are modified, they are expensive resto-mods.
This is a new type of buyer, for which the populist design, tone and style of LRO isn't what they really want. Existing readership are priced out of the cars, which means declining needs for parts companies, which is then a vicious circle of less advertising. Because LRO doesn't provide the richer, new type of classic Land/Range Rover owner, then the posh companies don't advertise either. That's why it's got thinner – a long way from it being Bauer's most profitable car title.
Of course, this was all made abundantly clear to management types over the years, but Bauer (actually, it goes back further to an EMAP mindset) cannot do premium product, preferring a pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap approach, selling on 'numbers of eyes' rather than 'quality of eyes'. Sadly 'numbers' isn't financially viable as printing and distribution costs have risen.
130 people in editorial were threatened with redundancy and several have chosen voluntary, as while changes are afoot, it's too little too late, despite numerous warnings from various staff members over the past ten years.
LRO could have been saved; the LRO Show could have found a new home. LRO could have pivoted to a different format. But there wasn't the belly for it. Shame.
So….
Neil waters on is starting a new Land Rover magazine called Land Rover Life.
First issue in July apparently.
A mate was speaking to him at the weekend at an off roading weekend at Land Rover’s Dunkeld experience site.
Curious to see how that goes.
Will they learn from the failure of LRO in alienating a lot of their audience by not featuring their cars/typing unkind articles about them.
Neil waters on is starting a new Land Rover magazine called Land Rover Life.
First issue in July apparently.
A mate was speaking to him at the weekend at an off roading weekend at Land Rover’s Dunkeld experience site.
Curious to see how that goes.
Will they learn from the failure of LRO in alienating a lot of their audience by not featuring their cars/typing unkind articles about them.
Interesting.
Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
ChemicalChaos said:
Interesting.
Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
How do you know they have done their homework? Money for launching is one thing. Who knows if its viable long term. Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
Wonder if it will even be a paper mag or they will go online only (Later being cheaper I'm guessing)
I'm not even sure there is enough of a market for another mag. With WhSmiths leaving my local high street, I'm not even sure where I would buy this anymore.
bakerstreet said:
ChemicalChaos said:
Interesting.
Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
How do you know they have done their homework? Money for launching is one thing. Who knows if its viable long term. Tbh I believe that a lot of the failure of the latter LRO was Bauer trying to turn an enthusiast magazine and its contents all corporate.
I like Neil, met him quite a few times and he's a proper enthusiast and knows the grassroots. Same with Peter, who also has a scary amount of vintage tech knowledge, and Jerry who's a great tinkerer and mad for anything at the fast and outlandish end.
Time will tell if there's still a gap for a mag to replace LRO, but evidently the team have done their homework. It would be great if Neil could get the band back together and tempt the talent over too - Peter and Jerry as above, also JP's epic adventures and Mark finding the restored gems.
Wonder if it will even be a paper mag or they will go online only (Later being cheaper I'm guessing)
I'm not even sure there is enough of a market for another mag. With WhSmiths leaving my local high street, I'm not even sure where I would buy this anymore.
The new mag has an advert in the new LRM, so I assume they are owned by the same company. I do like a proper magazine, being an old git, but I only get LRM and Hayburner now, both by subscription.
Red9zero said:
The WHS nearest us had hardly any magazines in last time I went in. I think there was a Top Gear mag and that was it for the car section.
The new mag has an advert in the new LRM, so I assume they are owned by the same company. I do like a proper magazine, being an old git, but I only get LRM and Hayburner now, both by subscription.
Yeah, I quite liked LRM and it was the only one I ever bought. Our WHS was quite big so there was always a lot to choose from in terms of Magazines. I also like a magazine. Always buy one for holidays. Its a nice change to staring at a screen. However, I have to show some loyalty as my Series made it into the October 2022 issue The new mag has an advert in the new LRM, so I assume they are owned by the same company. I do like a proper magazine, being an old git, but I only get LRM and Hayburner now, both by subscription.
Gassing Station | Land Rover | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff