NME takes on market leader Hot Press with Irish edition

copyright Brandrepublic.com
by Alex Donohue
published October 10, 2006

LONDON - IPC Media's NME is to take on Ireland's bestselling music title Hot Press later this month by launching a dedicated Republic of Ireland edition to coincide with the opening of its Club NME Dublin club night.

NME Ireland sample editions, featuring cover stars Humanzi, will appear this week across the Republic, with the full version slated for October 21. Content for the Irish edition will be overseen by Steve Cummins, the NME's Ireland correspondent.

Conor McNicholas, editor of NME, said: "NME has always been a successful magazine in Ireland, but with such a vibrant live music scene and such passionate music lovers, it would be madness not to provide the country with their own magazine."

NME Ireland will be up against fortnightly title Hot Press, which according to the Joint National Readership Survey has a monthly circulation of more than 100,000. Hot Press has been edited by Niall Stokes since he founded the magazine in 1977.

Club NME Dublin will take place on the first and third Thursday of the month at The Hub in Dublin's Temple Bar district.

NME announced yesterday that it had extended its sponsorship deal with mobile phone giant O2 for its NME Rock N Roll Riot tour, which tours the UK later this month.