Friday, December 27, 2013

Popular Communications to Cease Print Publishing in 2014

There was no ARRL Letter this week, and probably not many people saw this item when it appeared on the League web site while we were all tracking Santa. Thus there's an excuse for missing the latest grim news from the radio publishing field.

This is the announcement that Popular Communications is phasing out its print edition, and being folded into the CQ digital product. This will ultimately end Pop Comm as a stand-alone magazine. Presumably, it will eventually vanish altogether.

From ARRL:

CQ to Realign Publications, Launch Digital Supplement

 12/24/2013

CQ Communications Inc has announced plans to realign its publications lineup and to launch a new online supplement to its flagship magazine, CQ Amateur Radio.

“The hobby radio market is changing,” said CQ Communications President and Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, “and we are changing what we do and how we do it in order to continue providing leadership to all segments of the radio hobby.”

Effective with the February 2014 issue of CQ, said Ross, content from the magazine’s three sister publications — Popular Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio Onlinewill be incorporated into CQ’s digital edition as a supplement to be called CQ Plus. The print editions of Popular Communications and CQ VHF will be phased out, and WorldRadio Online will no longer exist as a separate online publication. Current Popular Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio Online subscribers will be converted to CQ subscribers and receive CQ Plus at no additional charge. Details will be posted on each magazine’s website.