The move will affect most of Emap's 50 UK consumer magazines, many of which have a single dedicated publisher.
As revealed in Media Week (February 20, page 5), Emap Consumer Media chief executive Paul Keenan is expected to announce a radical restructure this Wednesday, involving redundancies and new senior executive roles, in an efficiency drive aimed at realising £20m of annual cost savings over the next two years.
Under-performing magazines could also be closed or sold off. Yesterday, Emap suspended its home technology magazine Digital Living after just two issues, claiming it could not make it work as a print product, but suggested it could look to reach the target audience online.
Emap's top publishers include Abby Carvosso, publisher of Grazia; Stuart Williams, publisher of music titles, and Dan Flower, publisher of Zoo and Arena.
Some staff are expected to leave the firm, although Emap could look to redeploy some of the more experienced staff.
Emap is understood to have been reviewing the publisher role for at least two years, since many of the commercial responsibilities are now split between four market heads in Emap Advertising, with strategic decision-making covered by managing directors of divisions and brands.
The publisher cuts will be the second overhaul of Emap's mid-tier management in less than a year. Last April, it scrapped 11 sales roles, including several commercial director positions, and replaced them with the market head roles.
Last week, Barry McIlheney, Emap Consumer Media's editorial director and former managing director of Emap Metro, a 21-year Emap veteran, had his position cut to a part-time new product development role, while David Pullan, strategic brand and marketing director, is leaving the company after being offered a lesser role.
The restructure is also expected to see a scaling back of editorial and production staff. Following the departure of FHM editor Ross Brown, Anthony Noguera was named as the magazine's editor-in-chief, with no plans to appoint a direct successor to Brown.
Further structural changes are expected within Emap's radio and B2B divisions, which have also undergone detailed assessments.
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