'Smash Hits' magazine to close down

Smash Hits, the popular teenage pop music magazine, will shut down after 28 years.

The magazine, which was extremely popular with teenagers through the early 1980s will produce its last copy on February 13th this year after it was described by Emap as a magazine "whose time has passed".

Marcus Rich, managing director of Emap Metro, said: "Smash Hits revolutionised the world of teen publishing when it was launched in 1978, but 28-years later, the world is a very different place and the magazine's role and relevance on the news stand has changed.

"The audience for the magazine was getting younger, predominantly pre-teen, as teenagers migrated to new platforms to satisfy their interest in music. This was coupled with declining advertising revenues in the teen entertainment magazine sector."

Smash Hits will not disappear entirely, however, as the TV channel, website and digital radio station will continue in the magazine's absence.