Zoo editor Paul Merrill moves on from ACP
One of Australia’s most experienced men’s magazine editors Paul Merrill is leaving the helm of Zoo Weekly after seven years during which he successfully launched the title in the UK and then repeated the process in Australia.
Merrill – editor-in-chief of the ACP title – is likely to remain in Australia although he does not yet have a job, Mumbrella understands.
The launch of the laddish Zoo Weekly at the time revitalised the men’s magazines category, which was previously dominated by monthly titles.
However, like the magazine sector as a whole, recent circulation data has seen a drop for Zoo’s audience. The last Audit Bureau of Circulations numbers saw Zoo drop back below the 100,000 mark to 92,525.
As a Taronga Zoo ‘friend’ I regularly enjoy their quarterly publication and wish Stephen the best in his future endeavours.
Zoo serves its readership well. It’s irreverent, funny and racy despite extreme censorship and taste boundaries brought on by a wowser society and the fact it’s now published by ACP (it’s much tamer now than it was under Text). Paul is a terrific operator with a gift at big, cost-effective PR stunts. I look forward to his next move.