Gabriel Jagger’s Whynow Media Group has saved music title Rock Sound from closure, months after reviving a defunct CNN brand.
Rock Sound’s editorial staff of around four people were all made redundant by its former publisher in January as the website and magazine was closed.
However the website and online store relaunched on Monday and future plans for the magazine will be revealed at a later date, it said.
Some of the staff, including James Wilson-Taylor as creative director, have been rehired.
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The title said in a statement: “It’s a whole new era for Rock Sound and we couldn’t be more excited about the future as we approach our 25th anniversary in 2024.”
Rock Sound was no longer registered with ABC but in 2015, the latest figures available, its print title had an average monthly circulation of 13,924.
In January Whynow revived CNN’s former short documentary brand Great Big Story, which originally closed in 2020, with a partnership licence.
Whynow’s founder Jagger is the youngest son of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and model Jerry Hall, whose divorce to Rupert Murdoch finalised last year. Private Eye has reported that Gabriel was “given a large sum of money by Murdoch to start his own media business”, although this characterisation has not been confirmed by the company to Press Gazette.
The acquisition of Rock Sound was Whynow’s seventh investment in a brand since the start of 2022. It also runs its own news and review website dedicated to media and arts, and produces television and podcasts for other brands.
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