Vibe Magazine Folds
Vibe Media Group pulls the plug as magazine planned Michael Jackson tribute issue
By DANIEL MACHT
Updated 8:04 PM CST, Tue, Jun 30, 2009
Vibe is no more.
The national music magazine co-founded 16-years ago by Michael Jackson's legendary music producer, Quincy Jones, is calling it quits, "effective immediately," according to reports. The website, Vibe.com, is also closing down, leaving a void in coverage of mainstream hip-hop and R&B.
"On behalf of the VIBE CONTENT staff, it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today," Editor-in-chief Danyel Smith said in a statement, MTV.com reported.
"We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It's a tragic week overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine's 16th anniversary, it's a sad day for music, for hip-hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you."
Earlier, the chief of Vibe Media Group wrote in a leaked memo to staffers that an "advertising collapse," especially from car companies, had hit the business hard.
In February, the glossy magazine slashed workers' hours and cut circulation -- but it wasn't enough.
First Published: Jun 30, 2009 4:23 PM CST
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