News Magazines shuts door on Insideout

News Magazines has closed insideout, its glossy interiors monthly, weeks after pulling the plug on its proposed women’s weekly.

Insideout was the second launch of News International’s magazines division. It launched in March 2006, backed by a £6 million marketing campaign to drive the title in a crowded sector, which has suffered from falling circulation. Last month the Channel 4 branded, 4Homes, also closed.

The news comes less than a fortnight after News Magazines scrapped its plans to launch a women’s weekly, expected to be called Lola. The publisher will concentrate on producing Sky, the monthly contract magazines for BSkyB, awarded to News Magazines in November and its real life weekly, Love it!

News Magazines has not ruled out further launches this year.

The publisher said in a statement that it “decided that the time and money investment required in this sector could be better channelled towards a less niche market” and that “every effort” will be made to offer “all affected staff alternative employment on planned news-stand launches for 2007 and on the company’s new publishing account win – Sky”.

Camilla Rhodes, chief executive, News Magazines said: “Closing any title is always the last course of action but our business must focus on markets that can yield strong returns. The circulation success of our weekly launch Love it! and winning the largest publishing contract in the UK – Sky, points the way in which our business must develop. We will continue to focus on scale and frequency for our news-stand launch strategy.”