HiFi+ and TAS editorial sharing ( copying) is now farcical
turntable -- Thu, 07/23/2009 - 03:54
Well, I gotta add how HIFI+ continues to DUMM down its editorial content by now sharing ( copying) music reviews from TAS
I open the new hifi+ no 66 I received today. 8 out of the first 9 contemporary/ audiophile music reviews are word for word copies from the last 3 issues of TAS.
New Joan Baez, Antony & the Johnsons, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Jennifer Warnes, Van Morrison & Rick Lee Jones. I have not even bothered to look at the Jazz and classical reviews.
I believe than within 12 months hifi+ will be no more with the obvious cost cutting and even record reviews copying from TAS.
Me I am not renewing my hifi+ subscription and that is a pity as I have bought and supported it from issue one. It is a sad sorry pale imitation from when it first started.
TAS is clearly ruining a fine magazine in hifi+ and no wonder Royu Gregory quit.
comments welcome
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Shane,
From the responses seen both in forums and from emails and letters, it is abundantly clear that most readers are concerned with the quality of our music reviews rather than their origin.
I have had to balance the requests of those who want to see each of the individual music sections cover a more broad selection with those who wanted the section preserved in aspic. I have also attempted to redress the complaint that the whole music section reflected a too obscure and UK oriented selection for what is essentially an international magazine. However, in hindsight, the reviews in HF+ 66 went too far in addressing an international mainstream at the expense of the UK readership.
We have useful resources in The Absolute Sound and Playback and we will continue to syndicate these resources. However, we will also be reintroducing more reviews from the original reviewers in subsequent issues.
Alan Sircom
Editor, Hi-Fi Plus Magazine
London, England
editor [at] hifiplus [dot] com
It is also a sad fact the the Hifi + website is in a very poor condition, not updated at all for weeks/ months. In 2009 that is not good enough, by far. It is quite simply bad for the business, you should definetly think about this. A website can and will tell you an awfully lot about the company behind it, I do hope that things are a little bit more optimistic than from the impression one gets from visiting www.hifiplus.com.
I will of continue to support both Hifi+ and TAS, great magazines.
We are more than aware of the situation. It's a problem with migrating the site, which quickly turned into something out of a Kafka novel, in ways we were not anticipating. It's a situation that will be fixed as soon as possible.
Alan Sircom
Editor, Hi-Fi Plus Magazine
London, England
editor [at] hifiplus [dot] com
I worry about this issue myself - I will continue to purchase both but, hifi+ should watch using too many of the same material - I'm sure there are many subscribers subscribing to both magazines like myself.