MBUK going down the pan?
Discussion
Just tried to go to MBUK.co.uk to find it links me to http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb.
Upon googling the problem I've stumbled upon;
" Due to cost cutting measures some of Future Network's websites are being closed down until further notice. This includes mbuk.com
Editor Mike Davis says he was told of the news this morning but that he will still work on the site "until somebody tells me to do otherwise."
The website closures are part of a cost-cutting drive by Future, which issued a profits warning last week. Other pruning measures include the loss of 90 jobs from its publishing offices in Bath and London and a further 240 in the US and Europe.
20 magazines are to be closed, but all of the cycle titles are said to be safe.
Staff were told about the job losses this morning. The official line is that the pruning is to "streamline the company's portfolio, reduce operating costs, pay down debt and enhance profitability".
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/21962/MBUKs-website-is-suspended
To be fair, I haven't brought the magazine in years, nor have I visited the website in yonks. Anyone know if the mag is still selling well?
David
Upon googling the problem I've stumbled upon;
" Due to cost cutting measures some of Future Network's websites are being closed down until further notice. This includes mbuk.com
Editor Mike Davis says he was told of the news this morning but that he will still work on the site "until somebody tells me to do otherwise."
The website closures are part of a cost-cutting drive by Future, which issued a profits warning last week. Other pruning measures include the loss of 90 jobs from its publishing offices in Bath and London and a further 240 in the US and Europe.
20 magazines are to be closed, but all of the cycle titles are said to be safe.
Staff were told about the job losses this morning. The official line is that the pruning is to "streamline the company's portfolio, reduce operating costs, pay down debt and enhance profitability".
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/21962/MBUKs-website-is-suspended
To be fair, I haven't brought the magazine in years, nor have I visited the website in yonks. Anyone know if the mag is still selling well?
David
Not sure on the sales front......
Back in those halcyon days of my early biking times, (1994) I used to wait for publication day to see what delights were contained within MBUKs pages.
On my return to biking last year, I bought a copy of MBUK & MBR at the same time, one I thought was a comic, the other a well laid out, informative read. I'll let you guess which.
If my experience is typical, then I guess they're losing market share, plus there are other magazines out there, eg, dirt, singletrack, which target a more specific reader, I suspect MBUK is "jack of all trades" trying to appeal to all, when in reality it doesn't provide an informative enough read.
Back in those halcyon days of my early biking times, (1994) I used to wait for publication day to see what delights were contained within MBUKs pages.
On my return to biking last year, I bought a copy of MBUK & MBR at the same time, one I thought was a comic, the other a well laid out, informative read. I'll let you guess which.
If my experience is typical, then I guess they're losing market share, plus there are other magazines out there, eg, dirt, singletrack, which target a more specific reader, I suspect MBUK is "jack of all trades" trying to appeal to all, when in reality it doesn't provide an informative enough read.
I am aware that there is a general down turn is magazine sales.
This has been going on slowly for years.
The blame lies 3 fold.
1. Many people have turned to the 'net' to get the information they want.
2. There have been a number of new titles vying for market postion. A market that can't sustain all of these titles.
3. Price. In order to maintain profits, mags have generally increasd a fair bit in price over the last few years.
Can't comment specifically, but this is general in the magazine industry.
This has been going on slowly for years.
The blame lies 3 fold.
1. Many people have turned to the 'net' to get the information they want.
2. There have been a number of new titles vying for market postion. A market that can't sustain all of these titles.
3. Price. In order to maintain profits, mags have generally increasd a fair bit in price over the last few years.
Can't comment specifically, but this is general in the magazine industry.
I think I had a years subscription to it once. I never renewed and got more and more interested in the car mags.
But I don't particularly buy any magazines now unless I'm going on a plane or something similar.
Will be a shame if it does go though, as I remember it as the biking mag I used to read. I think I grew up and found it a bit stupid/ boring to read. As said, if you wanted 100% fact on something then you went online.
David
But I don't particularly buy any magazines now unless I'm going on a plane or something similar.
Will be a shame if it does go though, as I remember it as the biking mag I used to read. I think I grew up and found it a bit stupid/ boring to read. As said, if you wanted 100% fact on something then you went online.
David
I subscribe to MBUK, MBR and Dirt and must say that MBUK is the most enjoyable read.
MBR - great for XC, routes and more grown up content
Dirt - Downhill only really
MBUK - aimed at younger market, so not as serious, more cartoony like you say.
Ultimately, everyone gets news on the internet, so people are spending their £4 on other things than magazines.
MBR - great for XC, routes and more grown up content
Dirt - Downhill only really
MBUK - aimed at younger market, so not as serious, more cartoony like you say.
Ultimately, everyone gets news on the internet, so people are spending their £4 on other things than magazines.
Stu R said:
JWB said:
Going...........
In my opinion it had "gone" many years ago. It appeared that they were trying to do things on MTB`s that BMXers had been doing since the 80`s.
In my opinion it had "gone" many years ago. It appeared that they were trying to do things on MTB`s that BMXers had been doing since the 80`s.
decade ago it was starting to look tired and samey in my opinion.
Can't get excited about anything in MBUK.
Seems that if you aren't planning to spend £3000 on a bike, they ain't interested, and that the only bikes and parts they feature are too "application specific".
Makes me laugh when I see the accountants and estate agents struggling to push their 6" travel 20kg psudo DH rig up a hill knowing full well that they would have bought it on the basis of an MBUK review of its "plush travel when pushed to the limits."
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