Rally World Magazine - bankrupt ? [Archive]

AndyRAC

1st May 2007, 12:37

Oh great! Only just renewed my subscription! At least got the HPI Subaru so not all is lost! Wonder if David Richards and ISC will refund us some money. Was a subscriber to Rally Xs and that packed in too. Yet everyone is telling us interest in the WRC is at an all time high yet it cant support a magazine about it.

I wonder when the bigwigs at ISC are going to get off their cloud, and join the real world. Interest in the WRC is dwindling, face facts and do something, quickly.

jonas_mcrae

1st May 2007, 12:49

well it wasnt that good, but it was the only magazine dedicated to wrc, that is sad, I too miss rally XS I think it was great even the spanish version, any of the spanish forumers know if "A todo Rallyes" publishes any more, I used to get that in mexico.

sal

1st May 2007, 13:08

Todo rallyes is still going as are many other rally mags but now this is the second "official" WRC mag to bite the dust if this story is true...

MJW

1st May 2007, 15:23

Rally World or Rally XS were not a patch on the "old" Rally Sport Magazine, that also died in 2000. Publishing costs and the internet are killing specialist magazines. I also agree with comment that bigwigs at ISC do not (will not?) accept that the WRC is not breaking new ground, despite gimmicks like getting Rossi & Patrana involved, whilst also alienating the die hards.

BDunnell

1st May 2007, 15:58

I very much doubt that there was ever the market for a magazine dedicated to the WRC.

GigiGalliNo1

1st May 2007, 16:09

I would purchase wrc magazines (Printed versions like XS) rather then subscribing to an online magazine, as I can either find news free on wrc.com or in the forum here :) But if there were a magazine published, would buy that... but its gone now.

I do have WRC+ which i've only used in 3 rallys so far, forgot about mexico, i knew Loeb would be leading so blaaa and loeb has put me off the WRC but waiting for the Argentine round! :D

Rally World Mag in Australia was imported to Australia from the US but bout 1-2months after it was published and sold in other parts of the world and at a woping AU$20.00 (12.00Euro/US$16.50) not worth it. I could buy 3 normal car mags for that price, tho I don't anymore, car news is better on the net with photos haha

smolvar

1st May 2007, 17:37

Can't we just get an internet version?
That will solve most of the problem.

I subscribe for the photos. The news is generally old and high level.

wrc_flipper

1st May 2007, 19:29

L5->R5/CR

1st May 2007, 20:09

Thats bad news! I thought somthing was up as I have no reponce from any emails to the www.rallyworldmagazine.com (http://www.rallyworldmagazine.com) website.
Wonder what will happen to wrc.com as Rally World Magazine provided the text news and information.

To be fair RallyWorld utilized a lot of the same sources of content, their partnership with WRC.com/ISC did little to add any real substance to either outlet.

It is sad to see the magazine fold the way that not appears to be undeniable. However, there was always content problems and distribution problems. The magazine failed to deliver anything really substantive, there was a real lack of major behind the scenes or insider information. The fact that what content was available in the magazine was also available, sometimes months before publication, never helped matters.

The reason I subscribed to RallyXS was the fact that while they didn't have much to offer in the way of new content, they were able to tell their stories, and present their content in a far more interesting and entertaining way. I wasn't really getting anything that wasn't weeks or months old, but it was entertaining. RallyWorld never found the right mix of reporting, entertainment, and special content to ever justify its price or its publication dates.

I'm really sad to see this endeavour end this way. I've known various people that have worked on this project from start to finish. They put their heart and soul into it. What is sad is that it was a loosing battle. Only magazines with name power and publication dates like Autosport can survive on the news of motorsport alone.

sal

1st May 2007, 20:44

I'm really sad to see this endeavour end this way. .

I'm really sad to lose my money

L5->R5/CR

2nd May 2007, 00:28

I'm really sad to lose my money

I doubt they will totally fold up shop and leave the subscribers high and dry.

More than likely they will try to fold the remaining pro-rated balance into either WRC+ or into a similiar magazine.

I've had 4 other publications do this to me in the past. Although, RallyXS turned over into Autosport so that was an upgrade...

General Prim

2nd May 2007, 09:40

A good friend of mine was working in the spanish version of RALLY XS. They were just a journalist, a photographer, a secretary, one translator and the coordinator, but their work en spanish stories was limited in the number of pages by the 'Big Boss', even Spanish publicity pages have a portion to be paid to the 'Big Boss', even when it was decided to change the type of letter to be used, for example from arial to New Roman, they were obliged to pay....
The new Rally World magazine was less interesting than RALLY XS...for me.

JAM

2nd May 2007, 10:35

Is sad to see that WRC is falling in visibility. The discusion about it has years on this forum, not all agree but the truth is that WRC is losing space and spectators. The end of a magazine is one more sign of it, and maybe also a sign that even with WRC falling some magazine bosses want to manage their projects as if it were in formula 1 target with millions of fans.

Autosport is surviving because is a big name and specially because it has F1. Without F1 a lot of publications would fall.

This is a obvious evidence that WRC is in really bad field, but for me is nothing new.

Simmi

2nd May 2007, 12:31

Doesn't bode well for someone who wants to get into rally journalism like me does it! In all seriousness I've had to broaden my horizons in terms of the motorsport i follow because there doesnt seem to be a lot of hope for the WRC in its current state.

DonJippo

2nd May 2007, 14:46

I very much doubt that there was ever the market for a magazine dedicated to the WRC.

I agree there is not nor has ever been big enough market for a magazine dedicated solely for WRC.

sal

2nd May 2007, 15:33

Sadly I believe you are correct. The fabled Rally Sport magazine that UK fans remember thru rose tinted spectacles didnt rely that heavily on the WRC in it's first incarnation, the short lived second version did but used a lot of archive material. As an English speaking UK rallyfan I get very jealous when I see most of my European,Japanese and Antipodean counterparts being very well catered for with several titles in each country.

I

BDunnell

2nd May 2007, 16:01

I think it is all part of the delusion that some have that rallying is a prominent sport rivalling F1 for mass appeal. This simply isn't the case, and I don't think it ever will be. Still, it all helps to attract sponsors, no matter what the figures really are.

sal

2nd May 2007, 16:21

RALLY TEAM GB

2nd May 2007, 16:38

another one bites the dust....

Sulland

2nd May 2007, 16:54

I very much doubt that there was ever the market for a magazine dedicated to the WRC.

But maybe for a rally mag, covering WRC, IRC, ERC and other regional championchips. As well as car-tests and interviews and so on.

A Magazine like that would have a much wider audience.

But the written part needs to be much better than the RWM - because there they had a lot to improve in that area. At least that is what I felt.
The Norwegian Issues were much better than the mother mag in that department !!

BDunnell

2nd May 2007, 17:34

But maybe for a rally mag, covering WRC, IRC, ERC and other regional championchips. As well as car-tests and interviews and so on.

A Magazine like that would have a much wider audience.

But the written part needs to be much better than the RWM - because there they had a lot to improve in that area. At least that is what I felt.
The Norwegian Issues were much better than the mother mag in that department !!

I think one problem is that in order to get decent access, such magazines need to be so inoffensive and 'corporate' towards teams and drivers that they become too bland to read, at least for enthusiasts who, let's face it, will make up the majority of the readership of motorsport titles.

Tomi

2nd May 2007, 17:40

magazines comes and goes, but VM still going strong :)

jparker

2nd May 2007, 17:44

How about this forum start publishing its contents in new mag? :)
Some food for thought I guess

GigiGalliNo1

2nd May 2007, 17:48

i'm up for the inlay design! :D

DonJippo

2nd May 2007, 18:13

magazines comes and goes, but VM still going strong :)

Very true but VM is motorsport magazine not only writing about rallying.

Tomi

2nd May 2007, 18:43

Very true but VM is motorsport magazine not only writing about rallying.
Thats true, and good so, there is not enough informative news for a full magazine, take a look at some old rallyxs, its 80% crap.

cut the b.s.

2nd May 2007, 19:42

I think one problem is that in order to get decent access, such magazines need to be so inoffensive and 'corporate' towards teams and drivers that they become too bland to read, at least for enthusiasts who, let's face it, will make up the majority of the readership of motorsport titles.

very true, it was basically glossy 'spin doctoring' for the WRC, if all a magazine offers is good pictures, results and pr spin it deserves to fail, the results and pictures we can get on the net long before they publish and the pr, who wants to read it?
A magazine to succeed must give what we cant get from the net, I like my rally magazines but increasingly when I buy them I look through them realising that most of what interests me, I already know from the net, they need to include things we want to see but cant get elsewhere and they need to remember that the people who buy are rally fans, too often writers dumb things down and write as if they are talking to the general public rather than fans

BDunnell

2nd May 2007, 20:24

...they need to include things we want to see but cant get elsewhere and they need to remember that the people who buy are rally fans, too often writers dumb things down and write as if they are talking to the general public rather than fans

Trouble is, the general public who aren't already enthusiasts are where more revenue can be brought in from. It's a very difficult conundrum for magazine producers. A balance can normally be struck, though it's very difficult for a new, independently-produced magazine to find its feet, notably in terms of getting good access.

Mopho

2nd May 2007, 21:55

Just saw that the Rally World Magazine is bankrupt and will not publish any more.
Can anyone confirm ?

Not True. I just spoke with the owner, it's only the Norwegian edition that is shutting down

cut the b.s.

3rd May 2007, 11:37

Trouble is, the general public who aren't already enthusiasts are where more revenue can be brought in from. It's a very difficult conundrum for magazine producers. A balance can normally be struck, though it's very difficult for a new, independently-produced magazine to find its feet, notably in terms of getting good access.

Do you buy magazines that specialise in things that dont interest you? I certainly dont, and I expect others are the same, TV does get casual viewers and needs to remember them, I dont think magazines do, their job is to cater for the fans, to keep them informed and interested.

Roy

3rd May 2007, 14:51

Not True. I just spoke with the owner, it's only the Norwegian edition that is shutting down

Thanks for the information. All that rumour sh!it...

RALLY TEAM GB

3rd May 2007, 15:10

very true, it was basically glossy 'spin doctoring' for the WRC, if all a magazine offers is good pictures, results and pr spin it deserves to fail, the results and pictures we can get on the net long before they publish and the pr, who wants to read it?
A magazine to succeed must give what we cant get from the net, I like my rally magazines but increasingly when I buy them I look through them realising that most of what interests me, I already know from the net, they need to include things we want to see but cant get elsewhere and they need to remember that the people who buy are rally fans, too often writers dumb things down and write as if they are talking to the general public rather than fans

just like WRC's rally radio..dumbed down and dont get the info you listen for...no wonder its free, as i dont think anyone would pay for it!

the hosts of rally radio are a bunch of fooking idiots

i find the british rally championship more exciting than the WRC

Simmi

3rd May 2007, 17:49

JAM

3rd May 2007, 19:01

I think in this day and age what the WRC needs more is a top quality website that offers more news then crap press releases. Creating a magazine is full of compromises which have been outlined in this thread. It's true RallyXS was 80% crap and the information in it wasn't worth printing it was so out of date

What we need is a better WRC. Better Rallyes, better competition, better drivers, better names that create interest, more manufacturers, and finally a big media coverage to show WRC to all the world. With a good product and a good media coverage WRC will go very far.

Unfortunatelly we don't have a good wrc neither a good media coverage. Without this the interest decrease. And without an interesting championship is impossible to have an interesting magazine or interesting sites.

People say that WRc is not possible to compare with F1. I don't agree. The methodology of managing F1 is the same that must be used to manage WRC. They are sports with cars, with spectators and with public. They have to manage all that things, the difference is the place and the things connected with this. But they have a lot in comon and one should be an example to the other.

Last but not the least, we need to know if FIA really wants a strong WRC :D

amberie

3rd May 2007, 20:09

What we need is a better WRC. Better Rallyes, better competition, better drivers, better names that create interest, more manufacturers, and finally a big media coverage to show WRC to all the world. With a good product and a good media coverage WRC will go very far.

Unfortunatelly we don't have a good wrc neither a good media coverage. Without this the interest decrease. And without an interesting championship is impossible to have an interesting magazine or interesting sites.

Last but not the least, we need to know if FIA really wants a strong WRC :D

It's much easier to criticize the problems of the WRC than to actually implement solutions. How do you find exciting drivers? You can't manufacture new star drivers like you can't manufacture another Angelina Jolie or Clark Gable. The WRC is much like the Hollywood entertainment industry. How do they please fickle audiences and produce blockbuster movies? If they had a clear answer, then every movie would be a hit. I don't think the answers come any easier for the WRC folks.

I do have to say that the production values of WRC coverage (camera angles, editing, music, narrators, etc.) are very good. And Rally Radio wasn't meant to be a dry reading of stage times. They do a wonderful job of getting the news the moment it happens and making it fun. Sports are meant to be enjoyed, no?

Rally World Magazine, I must agree, is too much like a collection of press releases. It doesn't make sense to me to have a US-based publication for a sport that's popular everywhere except the US. David Evans at Autosport Magazine does a good job of gathering relevant news and while giving an honest (and not unnecessarily cynical) opinion of rallying. But he's the only rally journalist at Autosport. It would be nice if they could expand their coverage.

GunsofNavarone

3rd May 2007, 21:52

As the official magazine of the WRC, certain guidelines and restrictions are put upon the magazine from those within ISC, the FIA and even the WRC itself.

Creatively, the magazine has struggled to deal with these restrictions while trying to offer "ground breaking" content and worthy articles not easily found in digital form.

In an effort to try and expand the magazine to a healthy status, it has had to compromise some of its original goals and placate to entities who can help it (through marketability and potential advertising) succeed in a dying world of print media.

It is a double-edged sword, so to speak. RWM will never please all of the readers which subscribe or browse, but pleasing ISC and the FIA is achievable.

sal

3rd May 2007, 22:18

By the way what was the date of the last issue? Have only received one copy of my "new" subscription and we are almost halfway thru the year..

JAM

4th May 2007, 09:29

It's much easier to criticize the problems of the WRC than to actually implement solutions. How do you find exciting drivers? You can't manufacture new star drivers like you can't manufacture another Angelina Jolie or Clark Gable. The WRC is much like the Hollywood entertainment industry. How do they please fickle audiences and produce blockbuster movies? If they had a clear answer, then every movie would be a hit. I don't think the answers come any easier for the WRC folks.

I do have to say that the production values of WRC coverage (camera angles, editing, music, narrators, etc.) are very good. And Rally Radio wasn't meant to be a dry reading of stage times. They do a wonderful job of getting the news the moment it happens and making it fun. Sports are meant to be enjoyed, no?

It's not easy to implement solutions, because we are coming to an era when things are so bad that is not easy to THINK in solutions, so implementing is still more difficult.

I have some ideias about that and wrote it many times on this forum, but i'm not the one how is paid to work on the WRC organization. Let's be simple about this, the people that is paid should deserve his earnings and work.

Of course that promotion and less costs are the main keys to increase the wrc interest. But these two things are being wroiten here since i know the forum, and things are worst year by year.

The TV reports about wrc are good, but they must be broadcasted in more countries and in better schedules. Of course this costs money to ISC, but without money there's no promotion and without promotion theres not interest about the rallyes, and withou interest there's no manuifacturers and without all of this is dificult to have a WR championship...

wrc_flipper

4th May 2007, 11:04

Posted on the Rally World Magazine myspace blog.... (http://www.myspace.com/rallyworldmagazine)

There have been a lot of comments in the forums about RW going bankrupt but that is not true. Unfortunately though, our friends from the Norwegian edition have indeed gone bankrupt. In spite of all their efforts, their publishing company in general couldn't stay afloat as they also published other type of magazines in the country.

Flip

m.lowe

4th May 2007, 11:31

I have all the Rally XS which I am considering selling
Could somebody put a list up of the Rally magazines in their own countries and contacts if possible
Thanks

Wim_Impreza

4th May 2007, 12:08

In Belgium we have only one Rally magazine, named AutoNews. The site is available in 3 languages: English, Dutch and French.

They report about:
- WRC
- National rally championship from Belgium and the Netherlands
- Other rallies, rallysprints and short rallies in Belgium
- Dutch rallysprints
- Sometimes ERC / IRC rallies and French rallies
- Interviews from rallydrivers, codrivers
- Tests from rally cars
- A little circuit news and some industrial news

Internet address: http://www.autonews-magazine.com
Mail address: [email:35d9n534]info@autonews-magazine.com[/email:35d9n534]
Possible languages: Dutch and French

BDunnell

4th May 2007, 13:08

Do you buy magazines that specialise in things that dont interest you? I certainly dont, and I expect others are the same, TV does get casual viewers and needs to remember them, I dont think magazines do, their job is to cater for the fans, to keep them informed and interested.

It's not quite as simple as that. Magazines can't rely on being 'fed' new enthusiasts from the TV. They have to do their bit to reach a new audience as well. It's how they try to do this that's the important thing. It doesn't have to involve dumbing down.

gojisube

4th May 2007, 20:22

Rally World Magazine had promise before it became the official magazine of the WRC. I just got my March/April issue yesterday, and am getting more disappointed with the coverage with each issue. When I first got the magazine they covered the BRC and the two US championships and were actually critical of the WRC at times. Now it is nothing but a glossy press release for the WRC.

GunsofNavarone

4th May 2007, 20:38

http://www.rallyworldmagazine.com/rwmeng/phpnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1178291033&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&

SubaruNorway

4th May 2007, 20:48

:rotflmao: incredible what a miss read can lead to

GigiGalliNo1

5th May 2007, 16:08

Anyone know or able to get a hold of someone who wishes to sell their Rally XS mags any language, preffered other then English! Greek, Spanish, Finnish etc.. English as well!!! Ebay not much......

[email:2uuo6vf2]info@mattjelonek.com[/email:2uuo6vf2] or PM me here!!! Would be great! Shanks,

Matt.

5th May 2007, 17:59

I appologise for the confusion I have caused by this thread !!!

I was a bit quick when i read an article on http://www.norsk-rally.com, and understood from what I read that the "mother" magazine was bankrupt, and therefore the Norwegian edition was also stopped.

Reading it closer both there and on the webpage of RWM I understood that this was wrong, and this is only about the Norwegian edition, not the International one.

Again I appologise, and will try to understand what I read in the future !!! :crazy: :crazy:

SubaruNorway

5th May 2007, 18:44

Im sure i read that to, so you are not alone :wave:

cut the b.s.

8th May 2007, 23:32

It's not quite as simple as that. Magazines can't rely on being 'fed' new enthusiasts from the TV. They have to do their bit to reach a new audience as well. It's how they try to do this that's the important thing. It doesn't have to involve dumbing down.

2 ways to get people to lift magazines they wouldnt otherwise be interested in, one is freebies, and they cost money, the other is 'flesh' and in taking this route you can alienate your existing readership, the best way to get new fans and readers I think is from TV or good interesting articles in lifestyle and more general sporting magazines, not in the dumbing of what should be a specialist publication.

So this magazine hasnt ended, but to be honest I dont really care, the sport interests me, saddly the official magazine doesnt...

ricochet

13th July 2007, 22:11

Could somebody put a list up of the Rally magazines in their own countries and contacts if possible
Thanks

In the US we have Subiesport Magazine. It's a predominantly Subaru magazine (as the name alludes) but we cover each round of the WRC as well as grass roots events and competitors in North America. We regularly feature exclusive interviews and insights from the SWRT.

Both Online and Print subscriptions are available. The print edition has subscribers in more than 50 countries, and is available on newsstands in Canada, the US, Singapore and Hong Kong. We've been publishing bi-monthly for three years and have never "missed" an issue.

http://www.subiesport.com

I believe we're the only American magazine to feature rally prominently in every single issue.

wrc_flipper

24th July 2007, 13:48

Had a message from http://www.uniquemagazines.co.uk apologising for the late delivery of the Jun'07 magazine. :eek: “Basically the magazine staff are concentrating on the Online edition and busy at rallies”

Lots of WRC events over the last two months!! :confused:

flip

sal

24th July 2007, 15:35

Was wondering where my latest paper copy had got to.Assumeit will turn up at some point. Not very impressive service....

LotusElise

24th July 2007, 15:46

I've never even seen this magazine for sale anywhere. Is it subscription-only?

If I do buy motorsport magazines, it's normally Motorsport News, which has decent WRC coverage.

AndyRAC

24th July 2007, 23:46

Had a message from www.uniquemagazines.co.uk (http://www.uniquemagazines.co.uk) apologising for the late delivery of the Jun'07 magazine. :eek: “Basically the magazine staff are concentrating on the Online edition and busy at rallies”

Lots of WRC events over the last two months!! :confused:

flip

Yeah, right, can't think of any though, must have missed them.!!

jeffy

4th August 2007, 16:42

I don't know that M5 needs to be sorry for his post.
I've been a subscriber to to RW from issue one, but after renewing in April this year I 've only one issue (March/April). The phone is out of order (has been for months). and I rarely get an e-mail resonse from John (jryan@rallyworldmagazine.com) - he had been helpful in the past, but I expect things may now be out of his hands. The last response I got from him was one month ago - promising to make good on missing issues and renewal freebies. Frustrating! I just sent one (last) email and without a quick reply I'll write a letter to my Visa card.

Jeffy
just another poor dumb codriver from Michigan