Bristol's Venue listings magazine to close

Bristol entertainment and listings magazine Venue is to close down, it has been announced.

The magazine, which was founded in 1982, is being shut down because of falling advertising revenue.

The publication's full-time and freelance staff were told the news at a meeting on Tuesday.

Venue was an independent publication until it was bought in 2000 by Northcliffe Media, which owns the Bristol Evening Post newspaper.

The editor of Venue, Joe Spurgeon, said on his Twitter page that the magazine was "staring down the barrel".

He added consultations with staff at the publication were taking place.

Group editor of Venue Publishing, Dave Higgitt, said he had been personally involved with the magazine since its inception and was "sad beyond words" it is to close.

Mr Higgitt said the magazine had experienced a steady decline in its circulation and advertising revenue over the past four years and that losses were now "unsustainable".

"Cost cutting has failed to plug this gap. Print prices have actually increased," he said.

"This year's budget required Venue to hit all targets to merely break even. This has not happened. In fact, the downward trends have accelerated.

"None of this is the fault of the staff and contributors who have made Venue such an amazing product for so many years. Their stalwart efforts to fight these trends and maintain standards have been inspirational.

"But the market has changed, reading habits have changed, spending habits have changed, and the double dip feels like it's already here."

He added other publications including Folio, Primary Times and West Weddings would continue. Eating Out, Inside Out and Days Out will become Folio supplements.