Variety closes online Asian version
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Leading U.S. entertainment magazine Variety said on Tuesday it has suspended its online Asian version indefinitely due to the economic downturn.
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The company said it had laid off its permanent editorial staff in Variety Asia, a website covering the latest developments in regional show business since its launch two and a half years ago.
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“Unfortunately, due to tight times in global news media, Variety has had to make redundant its permanent editorial staff in this region,” the group said in an announcement posted on its website.
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“Sadly, that effectively halts publication of Variety Asia.”
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Among those laid off were Patrick Frater, the Asian team’s editor, and Marcus Lim, Hong Kong correspondent and web editor.
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“With effect from February 2, 20009, Variety Asia will no longer be updated and there will be no more newsletters until further notice,” the announcement said.
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But it added that its publishing interests in America would continue.
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Variety, founded in 1905, is among the leading entertainment trade publications in the U.S.
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Industry players doubted the wisdom of closing the website, which featured news of many rapidly rising film industries including China, Korea, and India.
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“I don’t know what Variety’s plans are but I would be surprised if a global publication like Variety does not cover the Asian entertainment market, because it is the fastest-growing market in the world,” Shaw Soo-wei, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, told the South China Morning Post.
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