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#1 kosmic33

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 14:24

Over the past 10 years Autosport magazine has gradually eased itself away from being a general motorsports magazine and more towards being an F1 only magazine. Rarely do other forms of motorsport make the cover these days.

 

I have heard the argument that putting F1 drivers on the cover sells more copies and maybe that's true, on Autosport.com other sports feature far more prominently in the "Most Read" section than their level of magazine coverage would suggest. The most prolific of these being Moto GP (even when you exclude recent events) and Rallying.

Moto GP obviously, had never really been feature of the magazine but WRC once was. Now it rarely gets a mention other than an event report, regular appearances in pictures of the week, and Henry Hope-Frosts page.

 

David Evans often bemoans the dearth of WRC coverage in UK press these days but when his own magazine doesn't bother how can we expect the newspapers to?

Will they bother mentioning the new BRC?

Is it time to start covering Moto GP or is that stepping on MCNs toes?

 

I've been buying Autosport for 25 years but to be honest I really do wonder why these days.....

 

Thoughts?



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#2 Marklar

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 14:33

Something for the Website Feedback I guess.

Isnt it almost everywhere so though? They are doing what sells best...

#3 chunder27

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 17:59

If you were trying to sell a magazine that used to sell tens of thousands of copies and now really struggles to sell, you would go with the lowest common denominator. And that in the UK is F1 in terms of motorsport. Le Mans aswell. Nothing else.

Evans has been writing about rallying for decades and has done pretty well out of it selling offshoots like a McRae book, the world isn't interested in WRC as it has been dominated by individuals for decades, a thing no one really is going to interested unless you have a vested interet as he does.

 

Club rallying is far more interesting and is covered by the counterpart MN, but in nothing like the scale it used to be, same as everything else they cover, they play at it rather than actually doing it properly. Tiny features, no depth and full of arty pictures that take nothing to include.

 

If you let publishers decide what people want to read instead of being brave and deciding yourself, this is what happens.  Editorial has not had any power at Hayshed for decades I am afraid, and let's face it magazines have been on a decline for just as long, most of them are a fiver for enough reading material to last an hour at best.

 

They are their own worst enemy. The last one I bought went in that bin after a day it was such utter garbage. And their competition went online for the same price as the magazine was!  WTF, How stupid do you think I am!



#4 Kristian

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 21:08

I'm cancelling it (having been a subscriber since the 90s) this month (I'm only keeping it on so I get to the end of the season, its an OCD thing...). Even as an F1 fan, I thought the content for that has gone downhill - generally I think its just lacking good content now. Most of it appears on the site anyway, so I can't see where I'm getting my VFM from. 



#5 jonpollak

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 21:09

I defected to MotorSport magazine when Roebuck and Hughes bailed out on the dreaded Haymarket.

Found SO much more on there I'm now a subscriber.

 

Try it-You'll Like it.

 

Jp



#6 F1matt

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Posted 24 November 2015 - 12:24

I agree with all the comments above, sadly I question whether to keep my subscription going, I have been a reader since 1986, funnily Bobby Rahal was on the cover as they were building upto the Indy 500, I also purchase Motorsport on a monthly basis but will probably swap subscriptions and buy Autosport as and when I fancy. I think Autosport has sunk since Charles Bradbury left, I appreciate they aim at the casual buyer and the picture of Lewis Hamilton might appeal to them but they really need to do more and keep the loyal customer base happy.



#7 Kristian

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Posted 24 November 2015 - 21:35

I think maybe the best option is for Autosport to go to a fortnightly publication, meaning a cut in production costs, but enabling them to have more quality content. The point of weekly issues is for regular reporting on races, but the age of internet is making that redundant. If Autosport filled out with more decent features and analysis, with fortnightly printing potentially cutting 30-40% off the subscription price, then it would be worth keeping. 



#8 ArnageWRC

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 12:22

Was a subscriber from 93/94 to about 2000 - and even it that time you could see a change.

 

They used to produce special guides throughout the year; F1 Preview, BRC preview, BTCC preview, Le Mans preview, British GP preview, RAC Rally preview, and F1 review.

 

They now merely reflected what the public/ general sports editors think; Motorsport = F1!!  

 

While rallying is my main motorsport, they'd be mad to give more coverage to the sport; the UK isn't really captured by the sport anymore. 



#9 ensign14

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 12:48

Might be worth trying to get a copy of a 1950s Autosport.  In which you'd get more coverage of a 5 lap handicap clubbie at Snetterton than for the NASCAR and Indycar seasons combined.  Times change, the availability of information means it has to adapt.  The complaint would be that it does not do what it could do.  E.g. proper investigations on F1 finances, and the appalling state of driving standards in lower formulae, but omerta.



#10 Kristian

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 16:44

Is Motorsport News still around? I remember that was very good for British club racing and rallying. 



#11 chunder27

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 16:17

Lol, that comment says it all really!



#12 ensign14

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 16:39

the appalling state of driving standards in lower formulae

 

Not that I'm claiming to be a prophet, but we've now had an entire GP2 race abandoned because of **** driving.



#13 Ali_G

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 17:08

Haven't read the physical magazine now in about 10 years.

However, if this online article by Gary Anderson is anything to go bye, the magazine is in big trouble.

http://www.autosport...5920.1443990716

Telling us that if 1 car will be 20cm wider, 2 cars together will be 40cm. Amazing insight.

#14 kosmic33

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 13:01

I defected to MotorSport magazine when Roebuck and Hughes bailed out on the dreaded Haymarket.

Found SO much more on there I'm now a subscriber.

 

Try it-You'll Like it.

 

Jp

I've been buying Motorsport for a long time and I feel that it might be starting to go downhill too.

I've never seen so many advertisements in the one magazine.......



#15 Knowlesy

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 14:41

I kind of feel Autosport should be a thick, comprehensive monthly, with deeper articles not available online. A nice reference thing, similar to what World Soccer used to be like.

 

A weekly magazine is kind of redundant these days, especially when half the magazine is splashed online. 

 

It is the thick end of four quid for crap paper with terrible blandness these days. At least when it started turning **** it was under three quid.



#16 Allan Lupton

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Posted 01 December 2015 - 09:28

Might be worth trying to get a copy of a 1950s Autosport.  In which you'd get more coverage of a 5 lap handicap clubbie at Snetterton than for the NASCAR and Indycar seasons combined.

In those days Autosport's market was mainly those of us who actively participated in motor sport - and there was a lot of club racing, rallying, sprinting and driving testing going on, so that was a big market. Not many of us had ambitions to rise above club level but we liked to read about those who had done so and drove in Grands Prix and Sports Car Championship races, or international rallies. It was a British magazine so US racing was not covered much - were there any races other than the 500 for Indianapolis-style cars in the 1950s anyway?

Sadly Club motorsport seems to have been a 20th century phenomenon and magazines to cater for it likewise. . .


Edited by Allan Lupton, 01 December 2015 - 09:29.


#17 chunder27

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Posted 01 December 2015 - 14:48

Knowles is right here.

 

People do not seem to understadn that magazine readership is plummeting the world over. I should know i truied to get into the industry a few years ago and was utterly unable to make a living. 

 

Proper motorsport fans want in depth coverage. Publishers want mags to entice new readers and to make as much money as possible and thereby the two clash. You would ahve to pay mroe for a monthly mag that had more depth as it would ikely have less advertising and a far smaller reach. But I think it is possible to make it work

 

Editorial always gets dumped for advertising, always. Flowery picture montages with uterly stupid captions, tiny reports, nonsense tv guides and previews!  Whoever really needs to read someone telling me what is likely to happen!

 

I prefer...

 

Tubbers 3 page F3000 text reports from Enna with perhaps two pictures. I loved it. A two page road rally report!  All this was the original MN.  Autosport I never read as a teen, always MN as it covered the clubbie stuff more. Autoirposrt never really has, always went for the gold star stuff mainly.



#18 michaelslorne

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Posted 23 February 2016 - 07:58

Autosport magazine is a good magazine. I like it. and try to see it regularly. All its content is good and lovely.



#19 chunder27

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Posted 23 February 2016 - 18:50

Err, are you being sponsored?



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#20 WilliamsF1Fan

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Posted 26 February 2016 - 21:16

Must admit I cancelled my subscription to the magazine and the worst thing was they didn't even bother to ask why I had cancelled.  I've been getting it for the best part of a decade and nothing from them.  I found the magazine has lost a lot of what used to make it interesting and a lot of the contributors left which was a shame.  Also, like mentioned earlier, most of it is now online anyway.  



#21 Zmeej

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Posted 02 March 2016 - 18:33

chunder27 :wave:

 

the lowest common denominator. And that in the UK is F1 in terms of motorsport.

 

:lol:

 

Hope you find that funny too, upon reflection. :cool:

 

Given that, in the current GOP nomination fight, Mr. Drumpf has sought to mingle with the NASCAR crowd, one can only hope that the opposite is true in the US. In Kanadar, F1 is the highest common denominator, although at times it seems all too rarified. :well:

 

People do not seem to understadn that magazine readership is plummeting the world over.

 

This is something that you think is news to the editorial, publishing, and other staff of Autosport? :p

 

I should know i tried to get into the industry a few years ago and was utterly unable to make a living.

 

My condolences.

 

Now, just think how the people who have been in the industry for a decade or so must feel.



#22 Kristian

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Posted 03 March 2016 - 09:58

Must admit I cancelled my subscription to the magazine and the worst thing was they didn't even bother to ask why I had cancelled.  I've been getting it for the best part of a decade and nothing from them.  I found the magazine has lost a lot of what used to make it interesting and a lot of the contributors left which was a shame.  Also, like mentioned earlier, most of it is now online anyway.  

 

Yeah I had the same, they didn't seem to care that much. They didn't seem to care about the 18 years of loyalty they just lost. 



#23 WilliamsF1Fan

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Posted 03 March 2016 - 10:21

Yeah I had the same, they didn't seem to care that much. They didn't seem to care about the 18 years of loyalty they just lost. 

 

I liked your post not because I like what happened but due to agreeing with your sentiments.  Abysmal attitude for the publishers to take to your loyalty.  



#24 JHSingo

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Posted 03 March 2016 - 14:14

I bought my first edition of Autosport back in 2007, when I was in my early teens. I guess for some of you, that's after the point when you believe it started to become worse. But I can still remember it now, it had Dario Franchitti on the cover and was after he won his first Indianapolis 500.

 

For me the magazine introduced me to different forms of motorsport I wasn't as familiar with, or didn't know as much about. It was great to read about some of the big races in countries like Australia and America. For me that's what it should be about, and I agree with many of you that the emphasis is too much on F1 these days. Autosport should focus more on other types of motorsport.

 

I was left disappointed by last week's magazine, which was almost entirely F1 related. While I guess that's to be expected on a week where pre-season testing had begun, and there was little else going on in the world of motorsport, I found it a bit of a shame. Yes, I know that they apparently sell more magazines when it's predominantly about F1, but who knows? If they put the focus more on other stuff, they might win back some of the readers they've obviously lost over the years.

 

Hopefully some of the staff at Autosport read this - but I'm not confident much will change. :well:



#25 james

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Posted 28 April 2016 - 23:38

I see both Autosport and motorsport news have stopped printing fastest lap times in the cub results , in fact the layout of the race results is now a mess !