Just got this from one of SMD's freelances:
I just received a form creditor/insolvency letter re SMD Publishing. Talk about Deja Vu. (Luckily, I got paid).
Certainly, Attitude magazine's been having problems, according to reports. Now it looks like the whole thing's come crashing down. Anyone else heard from SMD or can confirm?
Now, they've only been in business a little while, so you have to give them some slack, but SMD appears to be a little bit tardy at paying freelances, according to at least two contributors who have emailed me. Typical of many British publishing companies? Yes. Worrying all the same? Yes.
Just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for blogging about the whole insane Highbury/SMD situation! I'm a relatively new Hotdog freelancer, though I lost money to Highbury and am having hell of a game getting any money out of SMD (five phone calls in three weeks -- I was told in the initial one that the money would be with me within 4 days!)
And
I have three Invoices outstanding and they're stalling on paying. This has been going on for two months. I think something's going on there.
What's up SMD?
Remnant Media, which acquired various titles from Highbury through its subsidiary, SMD Publishing, is to float on alternative stock exchange AIM, according to The Guardian. For SMD watchers, there are a few interesting nuggets about the two companies' financial stability.
In case you want to get in touch with the new owners of Hotdog and DVD World, you can give them a call on 020 7608 6500. The accounts department, however, is at Remnant Media. Tel: 0845 225 9743
Media Week is running a Q&A piece with the SMD Publishing ad team. If you want to find out what the new owners of Hotdog, DVD World, et al are like, the article seems a reasonable place to start.
Got a letter from Ernst & Young on Saturday, giving details of the Highbury break-up. For ex-Highbury freelances, the following clauses probably seem the most relevant - if anyone can spot any others, feel free to add comments:
How's this for a happy story from a former Highbury freelancer?
Hi Rob. I freelance for the Radio Controlled Models and Electronics magazine previously owned by Highbury and now a suite of Orpington based magazines owned by Encanta media. I thought you might like to know that Encanta are to pay me in full the missing money I was owed by Highbury. A very kind gesture I thought as they have no obligations to do so. I believe this arrangement is offered to all Encanta freelancers who didn't jump ship as it went down.
A small result but encouraging.
While that's not happening, as far as I know, with any of the titles now owned by Imagine, Imagine are re-commissioning some of the work Highbury commissioned. That means that even if the receivers don't pay up, at least the work will get used and paid for by someone.
As for SMD, I've seen Hotdog and the other titles on the newstands now, but I have no further information on what's happening there. If anyone would like to email me with dirt, the address is blog@the-word-is-not-enough.com.
No sooner do I wonder what's happening with all the ex-Highbury magazines and why Imagine's being so quiet than messages start to come out: I'm guessing everyone was under orders to keep quiet until now.
Only a couple of magazines so far have confirmed their existence, but I'm sure more will be emerging into the light in the coming days. Looks like the first new issues will be coming out this month and next month. Anyway, here's a round-up of what we have so far:
gamesTM: Will continue, according to Imagine MD Damian Butt.
Web Designer: Will continue, according to emails sent out by the new team. Working on issues 116 and 117 right now. Former contributors are being approached. At least some of the old team are running it as well as, I'm told, the former editor of Web Developer (who might also be editor of Web Developer, but I've no information about that title at the moment). The new contact email address for the mag is webdesigner@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Advanced Photoshop: The receptionist at Imagine says the mag will be back.
Web Developer: Ditto
Digital Creative Arts: Ditto
iCreate: Will be coming back and former contributors are being approached. Further details are available in this Mac Creative forum thread.
Anyway, that's six titles out of 24, so there's some way to go before we know the fates of all the mags. But I've had an idea. Seeing as
why don't the new Imagine teams leave their magazines' contact details here in the comments section, along with any information about their respective mags that they want subscribers to know? Alternatively, they can email me. In both case, I'll add a blog entry with the appropriate details so that the information's obvious and clear. That's probably the quickest way to get word out to contribs old and new, as well as subscribers, don't you think? Let me know if you agree or disagree.
And if SMD feel like doing the same, that's just dandy: I'm already getting lots of people asking me for their contact details and BT.com doesn't yet have a number for them.
Media Week has a few more facts on SMD Publishing, confirming that it's a subsidiary of Remnant and that Attitude and What's On in London will be joining SMD from Remnant.
While the antics at Encanta and SMD/Remnant have been filling this blog of late, the situation with Imagine is still developing. Many are curious as to what's going to happen to the former Highbury Entertainment staff (and, erm, freelancers). This is the latest from someone on the ground who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to a meeting with the HR consultancy firm that Imagine have employed and reps from the NUJ and our accounts and HR departments, they are looking to make approximately 70 redundancies, which is obviously a large proportion of staff. Even more concerning for freelancers is the fact that they are planning to axe all but 13 of the titles that they have acquired.
What's shocking me is that the majority of staff haven't been given this information, and it seems to be down to the NUJ to keep us informed. Their plan now is for everyone to participate in one-on-one interviews with these consultants to justify our own jobs so that they can decide which positions to make available, and we will then have to reapply for our jobs.
I haven't verified any of this with Imagine or the NUJ (this is a non-paying blog and with taxes just around the corner and a big Highbury-shaped dent in my bank account, I have a lot of money-earning to do), so don't take it as gospel. Nevertheless, the re-interviewing procedure has been confirmed by other sources, so that part's almost certainly true.
Having been through a couple of redundancies myself, my heart goes out to you ex-Highbury guys. I really hope it all works out well for you.
