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You would think with the mainstream print media industry collapsing that news that The New England Blade, an alternative gay paper in Boston owned by HX Media, closed its doors this week would be another sad story of of a publication caught up in the financial crisis tsunami. But it turns out that it's not the market that killed the New England Blade, it's HX CEO Matthew Bank. In 2006 the paper, then called IN Newsweekly was sold to HX Media, best known for it's New York based bar rag and tendency to fire people en masse. IN's then editor, Fred Kuhr, soon found himself in charge of a paper which often failed to pay its contributors and was pressured to focus on "lighter, fluffier" stories. Joe Siegel, a former writer for the paper, has the whole gory story, complete with tales of how HX hiring a convicted felon to act as publisher and how reporters and staff never received their paychecks: CONTINUED » |
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Rumor has it that the paper has received an eviction notice for not paying their rent, the staff has been asked not to cash their paychecks and distributors haven't been paid in two months. HX founder Matthew Bank reportedly flew up there recently to reassure staffers that their jobs are safe. We wonder if those people remember April's staff shake-up. HX Media doesn't have the best track record in pioneering into new territories - HX Philadelphia folded earlier this year. |
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A staffer informs us that mag founder Matthew Bank today sacked designer John Agnesini, the man who's suing Subway for that whole knife-in-sandwich scandal. While it's not unusual for HX to off staffers, the Agnesini firing smells fishier than the rest. You see, rather than hiring a run of the mill designer, Bank instead chose his boyfriend, Peter Hemmel, who recently lost his design director gig over at Glamour. Himmel, however, will allegedly only occupy the slot for a month. Disclosure: our editor once worked for HX. And, no, he wasn't fired. |
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» Ad Nauseam
HX magazine's internal battle keeps spilling into our mailbag: "It's bullshit that Matthew Bank listens to everything Neal Boulton tells him to do like a puppy dog (like fire Matthew Farris!). They have secret meetings that everyone can overhear. We've all seen the redesign and we all know what's coming. Brandon [Voss] worked his ass off at HX and there is no reason to shut him out like this." So, which of the names mentioned wrote this one? |
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Four Editorial Staffers Resign!
Editorial staffers at In Newsweekly, which HX acquired last year, are none-to-happy with the way things are going down. Contributor Joe Siegel offered his resignation this weekend, just a week after he and three other regulars - including our favorite black preacher woman, Irene Monroe - sent HX founder Matt Bank a blistering letter. They've all since stepped down. Read said letter, after the jump… |
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Stiffs Printers, Staffers Suffer
HX has left a major creditor high and dry. Publisher Matthew Bank and his partner David Unger of Avalon Equity Group (which recently sold NY Press) stiffed it's printer on Varick Street to the tune of more than $480,000. Perhaps all the pub's dough's been sunk into that $1.25 million go-go lawsuit. |
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Long Hours, Bad Pay, Airborne Herpes Cited...
Founder Matthew Bank and publisher Gary Lacinski sacked scores of employees earlier this year, but have been working to maintain their numbers. It seems, however, that staffers simply can't hang. From a reader: The past two weeks, HX magazine has had quite a number of resignations - the creative director, listings editor, classified account executive and Matthew Bank's personal assistant position. The reason for the resignations have been varied, but it might have something to do with the graveyard hours (5-6am) and the strenuous work overload that Bank has been foisting on the minimal staff after last year's round of layoffs. (You can point interested readers to apply at Craigslist. They're accepting HX applications over there.) Accepting applications over Craigslist, huh? That's certainly a step up from their old method: writing help wanted signs above glory holes. |