'Uptown' Bringing Back 'Vibe'

Vibe Magazine and Vibe.com will be making a comeback, after folding in June and catching the media world and readers by surprise. Several news sites (Reuters, AdAge, WSJ, AP) are reporting on a deal that has Vibe's assets being acquired by InterMedia Partners and its publisher Uptown Media Group. Reportedly, they're planning to relaunch Vibe.com in coming weeks and put out a print edition by the end of the year, with plans to relaunch the once-popular monthly print mag as a quarterly (a banner has gone up on the website that reads: "Vibe Under New Management: Updates Coming Soon").

Uptown Media Group also publishes Uptown Magazine, which Charlotteans have become more familiar with since the Harlem, New York-based mag began publishing a Charlotte edition in February (you can read my past blog posts here and here about the Charlotte launching). I've been writing for the bi-monthly Uptown Magazine since it launched here, but I don't have any insider's knowledge on the Vibe deal. While I'm sure the full details and plans will be worked out in coming weeks and months, one site is reporting on a possibility of Vibe being packaged with Uptown. It's known as polybagging and magazines do it all the time (you know, when you get that bonus/special issue with your regular issue). Both Uptown and Vibe target African-Americans, but Uptown focuses more on the upscale and luxurious lifestyle, while Vibe has traditionally focused on hip-hop and black music entertainment (though Uptown often features R&B singers on its covers).

This is the cover for the August/September issue of Uptown, which is its five-year anniversary issue. You can find my article on Charlotte wine bars in there.

Read more about the Vibe acquisition here on Reuters.com.