Teen People to Become Web-only

Time Inc. announced today that it will shutter the print edition of Teen People, continuing the title as an online-only publication.

In a memo to employees Tuesday, Time’s CEO Ann Moore and John Huey, Teen People‘s editor-in-chief, promised, “We will continue to invest in the brand through TeenPeople.com, which shows promise and growth.”

Magazine ad sales have been losing share to Internet ads in recent years. According to TNS Media Intelligence, consumer and Sunday magazines grew 3.6 percent last year, while B2B magazines declined by 0.3 percent. During that same time, Internet display advertising grew by 13.0 percent.

A similar move was made earlier this year by Hachette Filipacchi with its ElleGirl title, which ceased print publication in favor of an online-only presence.

The print magazine and Web site launched together in 1998. The last print magazine will be the September issue, which hits newsstands August 4. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, this is just the first of many titles that will lose their print editions in coming months.