Tim Southwell, the co-founder of IPC Magazines’ lads title, Loaded,
has returned to edit the magazine following the sudden departure of the
editor, Derek Harbinson, on Wednesday.
Southwell’s return coincides with IPC’s intention to expand Loaded
internationally, following the announcement last week by Emap Metro that
it plans to launch its rival title, FHM, in the US.
Robert Tame, IPC’s music and sports publishing director, said: ’Now that
we are independent, the whole international game plan has opened up.
Loaded is a key IPC brand and we are looking at it with serious intent.
When Tim originally worked on Loaded, he always had aspirations to make
it an international title.’
Tame said it was too early to say where and when Loaded would launch
internationally, but key markets might include the US, Australia, South
Africa and Europe.
Harbinson is understood to be going freelance. He has edited the
magazine for 18 months since the departure of the launch editor, James
Brown, to Conde Nast’s men’s title, GQ.
Andy McDuff, the managing director of IPC’s music and sports division,
said: ’The best possible replacement has to be the man who co-founded it
all - Tim Southwell - and it’s fantastic that he’s back and fizzing with
ideas.’
Southwell said this week: ’I’m not going to change a winning formula,
especially since a lot of it was mine in the first place. But there’s
loads of new stuff I want to do and the Loaded lads are well up for
it.’
Southwell left Loaded last year to write his book, Getting Away With it
- the Inside Story of Loaded.
Tame said: ’We have been talking to Tim for a while because we
identified him as a key person who can do a brilliant job for us.’
Loaded will form part of IPC’s pounds 25 million marketing drive next
year for its core magazines.
The publisher is currently seeking an agency to work on advertising for
Loaded, NME and Melody Maker.
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