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1. TASK 4: MUSIC RESEARCH
INTO INDUSTRIES AND
INSTITUTIONS

2. TASK 4B
1) Sub Genre Music Magazine Choice
I have chosen to base my following magazine on the genre of Rock/
alternative.
The reasons I have decided to choose this particular sub genre is because I
personally enjoy listening to this genre of music and can be considered as a
beneficial element as I would potentially enjoy producing this magazine more
since I personally like it. In addition, I am familiar with rock/alternative rock
magazines to an extent – the basic knowledge I know will help and I have a
greater insight from previous encounters with magazines like Kerrang. In
addition this subgenre is one of the most popular genres nowadays so its
bound to be publically liked more and have a large audience from my chosen
niche market. Finally, there are many codes and conventions particular to
rock/alternative which I find more interesting to incorporate into my own and
the acceptance to challenge conventions due to the genre itself.

3. 2) Rock Magazine Research
Kerrang:
• Editor: James McMahan
• Frequency: Weekly
• Publisher: Bauer Media Group
• Circulation: 37,603
• Founder: Alan Lewis
• Genre: Music, rock, metal,
• First Issue: 6th June 1981
• Country: United Kingdom
• Language: English
• HQ: London
• Target Audience: Teenage –
25yrs, Unisex
The main links between this magazine and
the one I'm planning of doing is the
location and language, England, English,
the genre is close to mine although lacks
alternative and the target audience may
be one my magazine may apply to too.
The publishing company behind Kerrang
is Bauer Media Group.

4. BRIEF HISTORY OF
KERRANG 1981-2011
Kerrang! commenced publication on 6th June 1981 and was edited by Geoff Barton at the
time. Angus Young of AC/DC appeared on Kerrang!'s first cover. Launched as a monthly
magazine, Kerrang! began to appear on a fortnightly basis later, and in 1987 it went weekly.
The original owner was United Newspapers who then sold it to EMAP in 1991.
During the 1980s and early 1990s the magazine placed many thrash and glam metal acts on
the but later discarded them when grunge acts such as Nirvana rose to fame. Readers often
criticise the magazine for repeating this process every time a new musical trend becomes
popular.
Kerrang!'s popularity rose again with the hiring of editor Paul Rees circa 2000 when the nu
metal genre, featuring bands like Limp Bizknot and Slipknot were becoming more popular.
Rees went on to edit Q magazine and Ashley Bird took over as editor from 2003 to 2005.
However the magazine's sales went quickly into decline in 2003 and Paul Brannigan took over
as editor in May 2005.
With the emergence of emo and ,metalcore, Kerrang! began to focus more on this new musical
trend set. However, the revamp was not seen as ideal to many readers and many complaints
were received about Kerrang!'s sudden emphasis on emo and metalcore music. Brannigan
took the magazine into its most commercially successful period with a record ever ABC for the
title of 80,186 copies
In 2008, EMAP sold its consumer magazine to current owner Bauer Media Group. Brannigan
left Kerrang! in 2009 and Nichola Browne was appointed editor. She later stepped down in
April 2011. Former NME features editor and Gamesmaster deputy editor James McMahon was
appointed as editor on 6 June 2011.

5. 3) Publisher Research
TV:
Radio (FM):
Bauer Media Group:
• Heat
• Kiss
• Kerrang
• Magic
General:
• Smash Hits
• Cool
• Founded: 1875
• Kiss
• Rock
• Revenue: 2.4 billion Euros (2013)
• Magic
• Kerrang
• The Box
• Employees: 11,000 (2013)
• HQ: Germany
Magazines Bauer have been associated with over the years
Bauer are a multiplatform based publishing company whereby they specialise in: print, digital, radio, Tv pirnt
home, postal services, distribution & marketing services. One reason already to why it is a good company is
sheerly because of all these different platforms – they have experience in many aspects of media which
makes them more trustworthy.
Q: A music magazine which began in 1986 in the Uk and released monthly. Q expanded into different
platforms as QTV was launched in 2000 broadcasting Indie, rock and alternative. In 2008 Qradio began
broadcasting and similarly to the QTV focused on alternative and rock. However both the Tv and Radio closed
down years later and were replaced by Heat and Kiss. The fact they were closed can deter publishing with
them as evidently they weren’t successful enough to continue although the fact of them being replaced into
something new shows creativity, reparation and now they are very successful. In addition, an annual awards
show Q awards followed after furthering the profit of Bauer.
The Debrief was published in 2014, it is an online magazine once again emphasises the platform ability of
Bauer Media and the niche market of this were particularly women. 1989 was the launch date of Empire a film
magazine which released monthly. The circulation rate – from 2013- is 145,117 – the advance in technology
helps make this magazine more popular and is more read now then when it was released due to the increase
in release of film and Tv series. The Closer was released in 2005 and is an entertainment with a target
audience of women, 20+, not particularly upmarket, working – middle class considered. Closer is produced
weekly and now has a circulation of 351,632 very popular but has been criticised for their photographs being
"grotesque and unjustifiable invasion of privacy"; after the French version included topless images of Princess
Kate

6. Grazia is a women's weekly magazine first published in 2005. They chose to suit to a partuclar niche market 0-
evidently being women with a marge age range and various classes, ethnicities targeted – in a way it’s a wider
reaching audience within the niche market of women. Gazia is a multiplatform brand whereby it thrives in print
and digitally.
Heat was launched in 1999, an entertainment magazine centred around gossip, celebrity's, advice etc…
Another female targeted magazine. It is available in print, online, TV and radio.
2012 saw one of the first magazines form Bauer which targets women over 50’s called Yours. It is a lifestyle
magazine evidence of a wider reaching audience. In addition the majority of the magazine were female
dominant nowadays although from 1950s-1980’s the magazines were mainly male dominated as “Motor
Cycle News” and “Parkers car Guide” are both male focused magazines. Motor Cycle News was launched
as a newspaper in 1955 appealing to middle class, educated, males.
Music Genres Bauer are most likely to produce
The music Genres they currently look at are: Rock, metal, pop, alternative, Indie and RnB. They cover this via
their radio channels and Tv channels: 4Music, Heat, Smash Hits, Magic, Kiss, Kerrang and The Box. Bauer
cover a vast range of music genres and so hold a lot of experience in all the fields which is why they are a
good company to commit to. The music subgenre they would do next could be another one of the ones they’ve
already done as Smash hits, 4music and heat all specialise in the same type of music, new hits in pop and
alternative and kiss and magic incorporate a variety of genres. I estimate the next genre chosen would be
different to the previously listed and maybe drift into more rap, hip hop, grime type music – to break the chain
and go into something different. Either that or they stay within the comfort zones they’ve been used to for long
and focus on Rock and pop.
I would choose this publishing company due to its evident experience in appealing to a differing niche markets
and the occasional approach with meeting requirements to the wider reaching audience and its experience in
music magazine experience. The most common niche markets being met as: women of various ethnicities,
classes, ages, and man with different lifestyles, income etc…

7. BAUER MEDIA PRODUCTS
EXAMPLES