Femina closing?

“We are consulting with the staff of the magazine about the future of the title,” Relihan said.

“Financial considerations means answering the question: can one profitably publish a title in the medium and long term?”

However, he would not say for sure if the latest issue (February 2010), currently on the shelves, is the last readers will see in the market, though insiders insist the magazine's end will come in a “matter of weeks”.

Media24 bought the publication from Associated Magazines in 2006, leading to the much-publicised August 2007 relaunch that saw Femina shift its editorial focus to 40-plus women.

Editor Glynis O'Hara, who said at the time of relaunch that Femina had a great potential and promise, could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.

The magazine cover price is currently R28.50, up from R21.95 in August 2007 - quite a fortune for the so-called 40-plus upmarket reader in this age of financial wisdom and economic prudence.

However, the lack of consistent advertising support meant the publication was sailing into troubled waters, and several strategies put in place to ‘resuscitate' circulation and advertising have all but failed.

Accolades are fine, but…

Everything seemed so perfect last year when Femina was highly commended in the Best General Interest Magazine at the PICAS - the competition in which Catherine Eden won a PICA for Best Feature Writer.

The news of Femina's impending closure hit the print industry hard last week, leaving many to wonder what really went wrong.

Relihan said: “Winning accolades for the quality of the content and editorial excellence does not necessarily guarantee its success on the news stand or garner support from advertisers. You need both to be a viable entity.”

Some observers allege that the management knew all along that the ship was slowly but surely sinking, but pretended to play a “perfect picture”.

Relihan refutes these allegations, calling them utter nonsense. “We would not be in this business if that was the case,” he said.

“We constantly look at all our titles and are quite willing to invest and accept short-term losses if we believe, and the numbers indicate, [there's likely to be] future growth.”

Internet an ally of print

He also categorically rejects any notion that SA magazines are in deep trouble, and refuses to shift the blame solely to the internet for print media's woes.

He said: “Hardly! The magazine industry survived the downturn in the economy remarkably well and will bounce back quickly.

“The digital environment is to my mind an ally of consumer magazines, although we expect that some specialist segments will migrate to a digital environment sooner.”

Relihan said 13 employees could possibly be affected in this process.

“I have stated that a consultation process is followed. This means that we look at all options and suggestions put on the table by the people involved and then make decisions.

“Because it is a process that could affect individuals' future, it should be conducted with care and not in a public forum,” he pointed out.

Close to one million jobs were lost in South Africa last year as a result of the global economic downturn. And if Media24 fails to ‘resettle' affected Femina employees in other areas as reports suggested, they could add to 2010's job loss statistics.

Although the global recession is officially over in many parts of the industrialised world, including SA, analysts warn that the recovery will be slow and painful.