Sun-Times parent halts publication of Grid biz magazine

The parent of the Chicago Sun-Times is pulling the plug on the glossy print edition of the weekly business magazine it launched with some fanfare last winter and began inserting into the Sunday Sun-Times, reports Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Business Journal.

Lazare writes, “Asked about Grid’s future, Wrapports said in a statement that ‘Grid’s digitally-savvy readers connect with business news on multiple platforms throughout the day,’ and added ‘Grid continues to experiment to find the optimal mix of digital and print media for its on-the-go audience.’

“In confirming the demise of Grid the magazine, Wrapports appeared to allow for the possibility some version of Grid in print form might return one day.

“But it was apparent from the Grid magazine’s debut last winter that it was a pricey and exceedingly risky proposition for a struggling newspaper company that hadn’t yet achieved profitability. Printed on glossy paper, the four-color magazine was designed to attract an upscale readership. But from the get-go, the publication attracted few advertisers to help underwrite the cost of producing the weekly publication.

“By May, the struggling magazine had decided to cut frequency from weekly to once a month, even as it was making plans to axe almost the entire Sun-Times photography staff.”

Read more here.