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March 13, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

IPC lures back Hilton but loses Butcher

By Press Gazette

Emap and IPC Media raided each other for an award-winning editor and a top celebrity journalist this week.

IPC has lured back former Later and FHM Bionic editor Phil Hilton and Emap poached Now’s Michael Butcher to be deputy editor of its celebrity weekly Closer.

Hilton has been hired to spearhead new magazine launches across the IPC portfolio. Reporting directly to IPC editorial director Mike Soutar, Hilton is the first big signing since IPC announced last month it has secured a £2m launch fund from parent company Time Inc.

Hilton was the award-winning editor of Men’s Health, before moving to IPC to launch Later – its bid to capture the post-Loaded generation. He joined Emap to be editor-in-chief of FHM’s fitness spin-off FHM Bionic following the closure of Later. Hilton had been in talks with Soutar for some time before finally handing in his resignation to Emap this week.

Speaking from New Woman, where he is currently a consultant editor, he told Press Gazette: “Working across launches is going to be a fantastic opportunity. Coming up with new ideas is a really fun part of the operation.”

He said there were opportunities for IPC in both the women’s and men’s markets to launch titles, adding: “There is always room for great things.”

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Asked about Emap’s response to his departure, he said: “They were fine. They are all professionals. There’s a lot of affection all around.”

Hilton worked for Soutar in the Nineties when he was No.2 on FHM and Soutar was editor. “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming back one of the very few truly excellent magazine development professionals out there,” Soutar said.

Meanwhile, Closer has poached Now associate editor Butcher to replace Sarah Pyper, who quit to be deputy editor on In Touch in New York.

Butcher was previously associate editor on Prima and Ideal Home. He is also a former picture editor at The Mail on Sunday and worked on Best and Here!

Hachette Filipacchi managing director Vivien Cotterill has been made redundant. She is understood to have had no prior warning and left immediately. Hachette chairman Kevin Hand is to take closer day to day responsibility of the company. “The managing director position ceased to exist,” a spokeswoman said.

Cotterill was previously at The National Magazine Company, before joining Attic Futura in 2001, which was acquired by Hachette shortly last August.

By Ruth Addicott

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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