Bent (magazine): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 18:45, 6 August 2009
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| Editor | Gordon Hopps |
|---|---|
| Categories | Gay press |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | October 2004 |
| Company | APN UK |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.bent.com |
| ISSN | 17423030 |
Bent is a free magazine that targets gay men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas right across the United Kingdom. Published monthly by All Points North UK in Leeds, it focuses on entertainment – celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and "scene" news.
Description
Bent (UK) was previously published under the title, North Of Watford (NOW) magazine.
Bent's Editor is Gordon Hopps: His involvement with the magazine stretches back to the late 80s when the first magazine called All Points North was launched. Since then, the magazine has undergone a few changes: It was relaunched in the mid 90s as North of Watford(NOW) but the logo was challenged by IPC who also had a title called NOW. After a number of years, and to prevent a costly court case, North Of Watford underwent another format change and became Bent. Gordon has been involved in all areas of the magazine at different times being Editor in Chief at all the major changes. He also had a successful career as a TV producer and was the original producer of the Mr Gay UK Grand Finals.
Bent is contstantly being updated in format and content and looks to the regular columnists Adam Lowe and Simon Savidge to provide the main body of features. Features Editor Adam 'Beyonce' Lowe, author of Troglodyte Rose and editor of Polluto: The Anti-Pop Culture Journal and Dog Horn Publishing, conducts celebrity interviews, writes the music reviews and the more controversial Beauty & the Freaks column. Simon Savidge is the London Correspondent whose interviewing technique has garnered a host of new fans to his work; he is also the author of Simon Says the problem page, with a witty edge.
Terry George., the magazine's Publisher, also writes a column in Bent (UK). He and civil partner Michael Rothwell, Publishing Director, own Leeds nightclub ClubMission and BarFibre and the Mr Gay UK brand. They also own the global Federation clubbing brand, which has nights in Belfast, Blackpool, Newcastle, Manchester, Gran Canaria and New York. George also writes a column in the Huddersfield Post and The Leeds Guide, presumably where he met Lowe, who left his regular slot to join the team.
At its peak the circulation reaches 60,000 copies (equal to that of Gay Times) and perhaps as high as 100,000 copies aross the UK. This reflects a circulation of 1-1.7% of the entire UK population and up to 10-17% of the LGBT community. Readership figures may also be higher, since access to the magazine in bars and nightclubs means each copy may be read multiple times. Estimated readership is said to be 150,000 in the magazine's online media pack.
Big-name coverstars and non-traditional subject matter has seen its popularity rise, particularly with its often striking covers that tend to feature minimal text and attention-grabbing images. Once again the magazine has undergone a slightly different and 'greener' look when it began to get its paper from a sustainable source.
As a gay lifestyle magazine Bent also carries items on fitness, beauty, travel, health advice, gadgets, fashion but peppers this with fun features on You Tube, interviews with both up and coming porn stars and illustrated erotic short stories.
The publisher of Bent is Terry George: In the late 80s, Terry George launched small, amateurish All Points North magazine to help promote his first gay club night, Confetti's at the Ritzy nightclub in Leeds. It was replaced with the glossy, professional Now UK in 1998. Bent was launched in October 2004 as an independent business: advertisements for other APN services in the magazine are paid for in the same way as those booked by other organisations. Bent magazine is thus considered to be autonomous from APN and a large contributor to the success of the company's Bent brand, which also includes 118 Gay, Bent.com, Bent Shop and a line of premium rate chat and text services. In early 2008 he and his partner Michael Rothwell won TV's I Own Britain's Best Home competition and Terry was featured in Channel 4s programme The Secret Millionaire.
Advertising provides the revenue for the production and distribution of the magazine. It is also available on subscription for a charge and can be downloaded online for free.