Network Press
Network Press was a German-language music magazine and a scene magazine in the special-interest area from 1985-1993.
content
Network Press, originally published as a magazine for the disco and dance sector, saw itself as a special-interest music magazine and a trendy magazine for disc jockeys and the club scene. The dance floor sound of rhythm and blues , funk, soul , hip-hop , house , Latin, reggae and techno , which became popular in the 1980s and 1990s , changed the music landscape significantly. Many of the music titles owed their publication and popularity to the DJs and radio presenters who presented them to their audiences “live” or “on the air”. The music magazine published music trends, reported from the respective scene and highlighted developments at the grassroots level, the underground of the music scene.
The Network Dance Charts later Network Top 45 was a ranking of the popularity of titles used in clubs and radio stations, even before the titles could be rated on sales charts.
Scope:
- Network Press: between 64 and 112 pages of content + 4 pages of cover, A4, alternating b / w + 4 / c
- Network News: 8 pages of content, A4, 4 / c
history
The magazine first appeared on the market in 1985 with a circulation of 12,000 copies. Initially marketed under the name “The German-language magazine for disco and dance” as a fortnightly periodical by RAN Verlag in Hamburg, the magazine title was subsequently changed to Network Press .
Network Press saw itself as a trendy magazine for the DJ scene and maintained a close relationship with the DMC Disco Mix Club, an international organization for DJs. In the further course the RAN Verlag came under more and more financial pressure and the magazine was on the verge of collapse. In order to save jobs and ensure the regular publication of the magazine, the publishing house was taken over by Musik Nachrichten Service MNS GmbH Munich. The publishing house moved to Deichstrasse within Hamburg. 23 um. The publishing management was based in Munich.
The Network Press and Network News magazines were produced using QuarkXPress, setting new standards in in-house desktop publishing in the 1980s.
The fortnightly production was switched to monthly publication. After the 100th issue of NP it was decided to start again with issue no. 1 (Figure Network Press no. 7 from the new series). The appearance at the kiosks was better promoted by a new press distribution. Copy price was 5.00 DM for Network Press and 1.50 DM for Network News. The approx. 5000 subscribers were served via the improved postal distribution (postal distribution number B 8143 E). Another magazine item was created called Network News, which, with its 7-day publication cycle, was intended as a source of ideas for record and CD retailers. The latest trends were brought to the market so quickly; Record dealers should be able to inform their purchasing department about the latest trends immediately after the music titles appear. Network News, with a sold circulation of 10,000 copies per week, had the Network Dance Top 45 Charts as its centerpiece, which among others could also be used by 30 nationwide radio stations.
concept
One of the new publishers and managing directors, Ralph Kubick, relied on a new, intelligent publishing concept and a number of innovations that quickly increased the sold circulation of Network Press to 25,000 copies (1989), the advertising turnover (the full-page advertising price 1/1 for a 4c advertisement was 4420 DM) and resulted in numerous advertising campaigns.
An in-house advertising department was thus brought into being, which was not only able to optimally serve advertising customers with campaigns and advertising concepts in line with trends, but also made trends in youth marketing and disc jockey accessible to well-known agencies and branded companies. While the current German music charts were rock-heavy up to now, Network Press was a door opener for hip-hop , house , R&B, black music and the dance floor, also in the advertising landscape. Among other things, C&A filled its branches with the latest trends from the Network Press Charts Top 45, which were delivered to the fashion branches on a monthly basis via audio compilations. Over 350 commercials with “Network Press presents…” on private television throughout the year flanked these campaigns. This resulted in campaigns for branded companies, leading companies from the entertainment and recording industries such as Technics, Marlboro Music, C&A Young Collection and many others.
Another idea was implemented with the Network Promo Pool. So-called white samples - promo sound carriers , i.e. unpublished samples from the music industry , were made available to a selected DJ pool. The ratings on the acceptance of the new release on the market were then presented to the music industry within 14 days with precise feedback from the clubs. Attempts were made to set up a meeting point for DJs and to open up a wider area with the Recordstore Munich (record store) connected to Network Press. Well-known DJs like Tom Novy and DJ Woody accompanied the record store.
New paths were also broken in the advertising business. Product reviews and reports should reach the reader as authentically and credibly as possible. Credibility was a top priority for the company management, contributions should not be bought. Advertisements were tailored directly to the customer, based on contributions in terms of concept and content. The tailor-made advertising space created in this way evidently changed advertising sales. Employees were specially trained in these concepts, which were taken from the most modern marketing developments and further developed by the company itself.
In the meantime, the music magazine Frontpage has also been distributed as a supplement by Network Press. On the one hand, the music sector for electronic music and techno culture was presented and supported, and on the other hand, both companies benefited from this alliance. In the 1990s, the trendy magazine Frontpage advanced to become one of the most influential print media on the techno scene.
The Network News with the Network Dance Charts Top 45 developed with its weekly publication not only as a further advertising medium, but also opened up new target groups of readers and subscribers such as B. Entertainment buyers who used Network News as a barometer for their purchases.
layout
The design style of Network Press and Network News was based on future-oriented, typographically innovative design and trendy graphics, which were originally based on the style of Neville Brody . Raphael Krickow was appointed as art director and accompanied the magazine over the years as a trend-oriented life and music zine.
Editorial content
In 1987 Network Press hit the headlines when it presented the withdrawn Black Album by Prince and the NDR played songs from the album on the radio night program.
Temporary injunctions against the music magazine Network Press and against the national broadcaster NDR were the result.
Cover titles or title pages from Network Press presented a. a. the following musicians:
- Terence Trent D'Arby
- Prince
- Janet Jackson
- Stick Aitken Waterman
- Cameo
- Kool & The Gang
- Pet Shop Boys
- Jellybean
- Front 242
- Bobby McFerrin
- Wee Papa Girl Rappers
- Simply Red
- Depeche Mode
- De la soul
- Coldcut
- Soul II Soul
- Tone Loc
- Inner City
- Alyson Williams
- Chaka Khan
- Public Enemy
- Roger Troutman
- Dieter Bohlen
- George Clinton
- Luther Vandross
- Leila K
- Boo-Yaa tribe
- Snap
- Blaze
- Stevie Wonder
- Jazzie B
- MC hammer
- Seal.
Rüdiger Kutz was appointed as the last editor-in-chief (ViSdP - responsible in terms of press law ). Fixed core of the editorial team were: Annette Ohlrogge, Kai Tölke, Klaus Gesell (extract from the legal notice).
The editorial team was accompanied by well-known editors and journalists such as: Götz Bühler, Michael Reinboth, Ben Liebrand, Jens Mahlstedt, Matthias Vogt, Claus Bachor , Mijk van Dijk , Rainer Kühn, Günther Jacob , Edda Baumann, Andre Luth, Alexander Schreck, Joel Amaretto , Frank Brockmann, Anja Bumann, Uwe Buschmann, Florian Diehl, Stefan Diekmann, Jens Dommes, Sybille Dormann, Jonathan Fischer, Oliver Glasenapp, Martina Glomb, Christian Gummig, Graf Haufen, Jürgen Hoffmann, Julian-Denis Höger, Thomas Hürtgen, Stefan Kloos , Patrick Knebel, Sascha Kohn, Ingrid Kühn, Katrin A. Kunze, Sabine Meyer, Dirk Neuss, Dr. Nox, Rolf Günther Philips, Mathias Rewig, Frank Schulz, Norbert Seip, Axel P. Sommerfeld, Philip Velten, Mike Ward, James Hamilton (excerpt from the legal notice).
The New York office was represented by Edda Baumann.
Compilations and collaborations
That's Timeless Soul - Compiled for Network Press by Andre Luth | Larry Dance Now! - (In association with Newtwork Press) - Columbia 1991 Sony Music Entertainment, over 150,000 sales Sound carrier.
criticism
The commercialization of the scene was a major point of criticism for numerous DJs. However, with the development of the club scene at this time, the marketing demands of the DJs also increased. Network Press accompanied a decisive evolution in the music industry and was able to partly shape it.
The end of the magazines
The now highly profitable group-like network “Network Press” generated rapidly growing profits from the core business of the publishing house and the various branches of the company. Noticing the unusual advertising volume from large publishing houses for the size of the publisher, interest in the Network Press concept also grew. There were takeover talks, but these were postponed due to the development of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the primary interest of the publishing houses in new magazine objects in the east.
In 1992, differences arose among the managing directors in the use of the income. Due to the migration of sales abroad and the resulting conflict of interest, the managing director Ralph Kubick was no longer able to take responsibility for the future of the company with the other managing director. After several rescue attempts, he resigned from MNS GmbH at the end of 1992.
In 1993, the development meant the end of Network Press and the departments associated with it, even after attempts by the workforce to rescue them.
Web links
- "Prince" behind schedule . In: Der Spiegel . No. 8 , 1988, pp. 207 ( online - 22 February 1988 ).
Individual evidence
- ^ The new Hiphop Lexicon, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2003
- ↑ Electronic Vibration, Pop Culture Theory, Gabriele Klein, VS Verlag für Sozialw., 2004
- ↑ The guys who brought the beat. In: one day. Spiegel Online, August 8, 2008, accessed May 5, 2019 .
- ↑ Network Press in youth culture: Paul Oczenaschek: Technomusik, festivals and the associated brands: emergence and developments. Hamburg Diplomica Verlag GmbH 2012, ISBN 978-3-8428-8374-1
- ↑ We have a lot going on: The German hip-hop scene. Schwarzkopf + Schwarzkopf, 2000
- ↑ Cooperation between C&A news and Network Press 1991: regularly on the private channels SAT1, 16.13h - Tele5 01.01h - RTLplus14.10h
- ↑ Deep in Techno: The Whole History of the Movement, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2000
- ↑ "Prince" in arrears . In: Der Spiegel . No. 8 , 1988, pp. 207 ( online - 22 February 1988 ).
- ↑ Biography Götz Bühler on schallplattenkritik.de
- ↑ Biography Michael Reinboth on Compost Records
- ↑ Jens Mahlstedt's biography on jensmahlstedt.com
- ↑ Biography Matthias Vogt on korg.de
- ^ Biography of Claus Bachor
- ^ Biography of Mijk van Dijk
- ^ Biography Günther Jacob
- ↑ Interview with Stefan Kloos, director of the MTV cult series "Friss oder stirb" (in May 2005)