Changes Afoot for Hollywood Trade Pubs

Variety to charge for online content; THR will move to web
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 18, 2009 9:58 AM CDT
Changes Afoot for Hollywood Trade Pubs
The Daily Variety trade magazine is seen for sale at a news stand in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Sep. 17, 2009. Variety plans to put some of its Web content behind a "pay wall."   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Variety will go back behind a pay wall next year, less than 2 years after tearing down its old one, the Los Angeles Times reports. Variety.com will be open only to print or online subscribers, just as it was before February 2007. “Everyone thought then that if you got more traffic, you could sell more ads and make a ton of money,” said publisher Brian Gott. “We made a real effort.”

Now, Variety will focus instead on “the professional entertainment community,” returning to its trade publication roots, Gott said. Meanwhile, the rival Hollywood Reporter is planning to shut down its daily print newspaper, sources tell Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily. THR will move to a paid, web-only model, publishing only the occasional special in 3-D. (More Variety stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X