Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News to close
Replaced by a new consolidated, yet-to-be-named website
Since both broadcasting and cable as media platforms are declining, perhaps it makes sense the magazine bearing both names would wind up ceasing publication.
TV trades Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News are closing and will no longer print issues or send out newsletters. Instead, both brands will consolidate under a yet-to-be-unveiled new name and launch a new site sometime around October 1. A new SmartBrief newsletter will launch around the same date, as a new resource for industry professionals.
Both brands were consolidated under the NextTV name for the last few years but had separate websites often sharing the same stories. It isn’t known if the new site will be paywalled or free for all.
“This industry is going through rapid transformation that requires our business to adapt”, said Future B2B SVP Amanda Darman-Alle, whose company owns all three titles.“By focusing our efforts on impactful in-person events and a unified newsletter, we believe we will maintain our role as a key connector and influencer. The B+C Hall of Fame is a perfect example of the kind of high-caliber event that aligns with our strategy, and we are proud to continue our support for this important celebration.”
The Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame will continue with Charlie Weis being named chairman of the organization, with Bill McGorry becoming chairman emeritus. Founded in 1990, the Hall Of Fame honors trailblazers in television and journalism and holds a ceremony each year in New York City to honor new inductees.
“The B+C Hall of Fame is a perfect example of the kind of high-caliber event that aligns with our strategy, and we are proud to continue our support for this important celebration,” Darman-Allen added.
Founded in 1931, Broadcasting initially covered the radio business but added television in the 1940s to serve the growing medium. In 1993, Broadcasting became Broadcasting and Cable, to reflect the growth of cable TV. In the 1990s, TVNewscheck founder Harry Jessell was editor-in-chief of the magazine.
However, the decline of traditional media over the years hurt trade magazines in the media industry as advertising dried up due to consolidation in the studio, syndication, and TV station sectors. The NATPE convention, once a huge driver of ad sales for TV trades in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, downsized over the last 20 years due to consolidation and stopped holding gatherings a few years ago as the organization went bankrupt.
Crain Communications’ TV Week, which started as Electronic Media in 1982, shuttered in 2009, and its web counterpart closed a few years ago. Radio trade Radio & Records also closed in 2009. Last year, Radio trade All Access closed after 28 years as its news content was stripped. Several trade websites have also vanished including Media Life, TV By The Numbers, and TV Media Insights.
TVNewscheck “paused” operations earlier this year, but resumed after the publication introduced a new subscription model.
Television has seen a dramatic shift in recent years as more and more viewers have shifted to streaming amid cord-cutting, making the “cable” portion of Broadcasting + Cable a bit outdated.
Broadcasting has changed owners over the years, including Times-Mirror and Cahners owning the magazine for a time. Future purchased Broadcasting and Cable and Multichannel News from New Bay Media in 2018.