TV Hits! magazine has appointed long-standing freelance contributor Helen Lamont as editor.
Lamont will take over from former editor Nick Chalmers, who left when TV Hits! merged with sister title CD:UK last October.
Lamont has been freelancing for the past three years, working on the TV Hits! relaunch last July as well as the merger. She also edited the Westlife Official Magazine and has contributed to The Face, Attitude, Now, Heat and The Scotsman, having begun her journalism career as a junior writer on Smash! Hits.
More recently, Lamont produced the official magazine for The Brits, which has a print run of 500,000 and is distributed free to record stores.
Commenting on her plans for TV Hits!, she said: “We did really well with the relaunch and we have got the formula right. Obviously we’ll be looking to keep it fresh, but there won’t be a swift turnaround as far as style and content is concerned.”
Steph Grice, group publisher of teen titles, said Lamont had “unrivalled” contacts in the pop industry and Lamont said one of her top priorities was “to get as close to bands as possible”.
There were no plans to change the existing team, she added. Angela Parmer recently joined as features editor and staff writer Mango Saul was recruited after the closure of CD:UK.
Lamont’s appointment coincides with two other senior staff changes. Lysanne Currie, editorial director of Sugar and Ellegirl, has been put in charge of TV Hits! and Pauline Haldane, editorial director of TV Hits! – who oversaw the relaunch and merger – is leaving the company to freelance.
TV Hits! was acquired as part of the Attic Futura portfolio by Hachette Filipacchi last year.
By Ruth Addicott
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