Is noted.co.nz gone for good?

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

The Listener and Metro were two of the contributing titles to noted.co.nz’s site.

A popular website which used to house stories from The Listener, Metro, and North and South is unavailable, prompting speculation about its fate.

But media commentator Gavin Ellis said it might be premature to count noted.co.nz among the victims of Bauer Media’s closure.

Noted.co.nz site was an online outlet for articles from some of Bauer’s most read local magazines, with an extensive archive.

But that was before the German-based company closed its New Zealand arm, axing nearly 240 jobs.

North & South was in the Bauer stable but is now owned by independent publishing team Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel.

* What is the plan for the return of axed Bauer mags

* The Listener and other Bauer mags return – some may be gone for good

* Bauer's closure leaves a devastated staff and a cultural gap

A number of Bauer’s titles including The Listener were picked up by Are Media, owned by private equity firm Mercury Capital.

Are’s editorial director Sarah Henry said since North and South and Metro had been sold, ‘’any content relating to those brands that was hosted on Noted has been transferred to the new owners’’.

As for The Listener, she said the company was still deciding on the best plan for its digital presence.

‘’Are Media are currently accessing the evolution of the New Zealand Listener in the digital space, and have also signed a licensing deal with NZME to host Listener content behind the paywall.’’

Ellis said content sharing was becoming common as a way of magazines or other media raising their profile, but it did not preclude the Listener from maintaining its own site.

With noted.co.nz being down, ‘’I would think it’s more likely that their own website is being redeveloped.’’

‘’Are Media is consolidating its position … I would be more inclined to say, watch this space. Because they’ve just taken over the business, one would expect they would spend a little bit of time assessing where they want to take it in the future.’’

Ellis said he certainly would miss the archives on noted.co.nz, ‘’but I would be reluctant to issue a death notice yet’’.

Of Bauer’s other titles, Are Media picked up Woman’s Day, New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, Property Press, Your Home and Garden and Air NZ in-flight magazine Kia Ora. The deal also included websites Now to Love, Homes to Love and Beauty Heaven.

North and South was bought by independent publishers Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel and Metro by Simon Chesterman.

Some of Bauer’s former staff have also stepped into the market with new titles. Woman is one of four new magazines being produced by School Road Publishing and editor Sido Kitchin.

Lifestyle website Capsule has been started by several ex-Bauer staff, and Ensemble magazine is being produced by a former Fashion Quarterly and Simply You Editor, Zoe Walker Ahwa.