America’s-heck, the World’s-largest and most influential motorcycle print magazine went through some changes on October 7th, 2009, with long-time Editor-in-Chief David Edwards moving out and Executive Editor Mark Hoyer moving up to Editor-in-Chief.
The announcement came as somewhat of a shock to those familiar with the U.S. moto-press. Edwards is arguably the most influential moto-journalist of a generation, with three decades of experience. He started at Cycle News covering local races and was hired on at Cycle World in 1984. By 1988, he was Editor-in-Chief, and quickly grew the magazine into the 800-pound gorilla it is today, with circulation over 300,000.
Hachette-Filipacchi Media, CW’s parent company, said no layoffs were associated with the reorganization of the magazine, just that Edwards is leaving. To take his place, HFMUS actually created three new V.P.s: Hoyer (V.P. for Brand Content), marketing manager Corey Eastman (now V.P. for Brand Development) and ad-sales director Paul LaBella (now V.P. and Brand Publisher). Long time Senior Editor (and yet another V.P.) Paul Dean remains in his position, as do the rest of CW’s cast of lovable rogues, like Matt Miles, Kevin Cameron, Peter Egan, Ryan Dudek, Blake Conner, Don Canet, and the irascible Mark Cernicky.
I’ll miss Edward’s high standards and vast knowledge of all things motorcycling, but still look forward to seeing the mag (redesigned beginning with the November issue — under Edward’s watch) in my mailbox each month. MD wishes Edwards and the CW crew the best of luck.
MD Readers Respond:
- It’s a bit strange, really, but I was wondering when Edwards would a) depart for greener pastures, or b) get the axe. Seems nature is no ones hand maiden. D.E. had been at Cycle World longer than anyone has been at any of the present U.S./Brit magazines. I normally liked his writing, but have to admit I was getting tired of his leadership and editor’s column in CW. Predictable. Old. Nasty words in journalism – I say that as a person of 50 years of age. And yet I didn’t feel the same about Egan, nor Cameron (one of the two best in the business; the other being the late Englishman, John Robbinson).
I think Hoyer will be a fine replacement. And the rest of the cast are experienced and accomplished motojournalists – CW will be fine.
Also, I won’t miss Edwards’ person political bias being stamped on CW. I read CW for moto content, if I wanted political backwash I’d check out either Fox News or Air America. I want my moto info free from either Demo/GOP propagandizing.
With that said, I wish David Edwards the best of luck in his future endeavours. And I wish Hoyer and crew a bright and enjoyable vistas as they tackle their new challenges and responsibilities. Mark
- David Edwards was ‘unceremoniously’ cut loose from CW, according to
Edwards himself in a post heave-ho goodbye he posted to CW’s forums.
I will be looking to see where the new crew takes this venture, but
their titles so prominently featuring ‘brand’ are ominous … Lew - Edwards was great, I concur with Gabe, but I once got into argument with him on CW’s website forum. I thought that CW should spend more time and effort on their website i.e. print magazines are going go the way of the 8 track tape. I was critical of their web design. He maintained the focus of CW would always be on their print magazine first then their website. With the number of newspapers going bankrupt or going totally electronic I still think history will show that the web is the future. I wonder if Edwards view of web vs print had something to do with his ouster. K. Paul
- I second the notion that Cook Neilson/Phil Schilling set a standard of editorial excellence that will never be matched. Edwards is good, as evidenced by the fact that he was able to get even former editor Alan Girdler to submit articles in English. But Edwards never transcended the work of Cycle World founder Joe Parkhurst.
If I were ranking great editors in motorcycle journalism, after Cook Neilson/Phil Schilling, I would list a number of men above Edwards. At the very least, Bob Braverman, Bob Greene, and Gordon Jennings. I would also consider Dale Boller, Art Friedman, Rick Sieman, Jeff Karr, and current Cycle contributors Paul Dean, Kevin Cameron, and Peter Eagan.
You said Edwards “quickly grew the magazine into the 800-pound gorilla it is today, with circulation over 300,000..” Cycle once had circulation exceeding half a million readers, and their subscriptions were folded into Cycle World with the November 1991 issue. Edwards would have demonstrated incompetence on an Obamian scale to have ridden that windfall down to less than 300,000 circulation.
Cycle World is a better magazine today than it was for most of the 70’s and 80’s. It still is not as good as Motorcyclist before it became 600 crotch rocket monthly and Cycle before it was cruelly axed. Joel
- Edwards avant-guard editorials will be missed. Having been a subber
from way back (which also included Cook Nielson’s Cycle, and the newspaper
Motorcycle Weekly [my favorite], and currently Cycle News), I’ll continue
with Cycle World. It generalizes motorcycling to suit many tastes, not an
arrow shot straight to a specific genre….It very easily covers my bike
hobby (I have a dozen very different bikes). Tim - Cycle’s Cook Neilson/Phil Schilling set the standard and have never been under threat of losing the moto-editorial crown. Many have tried, many have fallen well short, Edwards included. Bruce
