Last minute deal saves Groove Guide

Groove Guide's song hasn't finished yet, with the music magazine finding a last minute saviour. Photo / Thinkstock

A last minute sale deal has saved local music magazine Groove Guide from closing down.

Owners Tangible Media announced on Monday it was shutting the magazine - six months after it was merged with long running magazine Real Groove in a bid to make it financially viable.

That sparked an outcry from local gig promoters and music fans and provoked at least three offers to buy the title.

Its sale to Juice TV programming director and band manager Grant Hislop was announced this afternoon.

Former editor Sam Wicks said it was great Groove Guide would live on beyond its upcoming issue number 371.

"We love the magazine so to see it live to issue 372 is amazing."

The magazine could be a profitable title as a smaller, leaner operation under the new ownership, Mr Wicks said.

Mr Hislop's connections with local music and Juice TV could open up new options for the title, he said.

Tangible Media publisher Vincent Heeringa backed that earlier this week.

He said Groove Guide could be profitable if it were run by a smaller outfit with a strong connection to local music.

Its planned closure had ignited passions for both street press and the magazine as a product, he said.

"We are a reasonably large company now and that comes with expectations of return on investment. Overheads are reasonably high.

"We've got a set of publishers here like me who we've got to keep smoking cigars and driving fancy cars. There are costs to be saved by the owner being the guy who runs the business."

Groove Guide is described as New Zealand's only free, weekly, nationwide streetzine.

It features artist interviews, reviews of music, films and games and a large listing of upcoming shows.

No details were available on when its first issue under Mr Hislop's direction would be released.