Blender gives SPIN a shove towards the drain

New York Post Online Edition: business: "Blender, the American music magazine from the empire of British publishing maverick Felix Dennis, has continued to shake up its larger rivals.

Now the upstart says it will surpass rival Spin in circulation early next year, when Blender boosts its rate base 20 percent to 630,000, effective in January 2005.

Spin is at 550,000 and stable. Spin Publisher Jake Hill said of his rival's increase, 'It's not unexpected, but I think bigger is not necessarily better. We're not falling victim to the arms of circulation.'

A Blender spokesman counters, 'Like most music fans, we don't really care what Spin thinks.'"

Yes, SPIN has been circling the drain for sometime anyhow. Sia Michel, editorial goddess, was brougt in a couple of years ago and has let the writing/editorial scope slip noticeably. Some people have defended her work on grounds that the business side of the book is driving the ship--sorry, but that's not nearly enough of a satisfying answer given the state of things over there.

But Blender has excelled where SPIN once did, and the signs are there that Blender is not only eating up potential SPIN readers, but eating away at SPIN's core.