New 'Magill' owner no political animal

There will be no scantily clad females. No exotic back-page advertisements

There will be no scantily clad females. No exotic back-page advertisements. Magill magazine may have changed hands, but its new owner, Mike Hogan, insists that the legendary publication is not going to be transformed from a hard-hitting current affairs read into a thinking person's In Dublin.

Not yet anyway. Hogan, who last week bought the magazine from Vincent Browne for a rumoured £250,000, says that with about 30,000 sales a month few changes are required down at chez Magill. Well, maybe shorter articles and more dramatic covers, he allows, but that's it.

Anyway, he says effortlessly passing the buck, any changes will be up to the new editor, the identity of whom he would not confirm.

John Ryan, former Magill and In Dublin editor and the man responsible for the successful revamp of the Sunday Times Culture Section, is thought to be considered by both Hogan and Browne as the only person qualified for the job.

READ MORE

One person who won't be there is Ursula Halligan, the journalist responsible for the recent Magill cover story on the AIB scandal.

She is leaving the magazine next month after being head-hunted by the Sunday Times. Meanwhile, Vincent Browne is to stay on as an executive consultant for 13 issues.

Magill will be the 38th magazine in Hogan's publishing stable, which also includes the GAA monthly, High Ball, and the official Boyzone magazine. He formed his company, KCD Publications, shortly after he bought In Dublin seven years ago. The name was decided after he bumped into Colm Toibin who gave the novice publisher some crucial advice, the gist of which was Keep Costs Down. The company now has an annual turnover of about £7 million.

This entrepreneurial flair has been in evidence since the age of 14 when he used to run discos in his hometown of Athy. E he ran a roller disco in Ballybunion. At 21 he became a sales rep with Sunshine Radio and a year later he became general manager of the rival pirate station, Nova, where he doubled as the original Eye in the Sky.

It was while doing traffic reports in helicopters that he became friendly with Ciaran Haughey, son of Charles. He has had a long-term friendship with the family.

Later as chief executive of Capitol FM, now FM104, he admits he made an "awful mistake" and misjudged what listeners wanted. After stepping down from the board he embarked on a publishing career and later married the PR specialist and former model, Mari O'Leary. They have two children.

He says it is because of the Haughey friendship that some people are worried about an "alleged Fianna Fail hack" taking over Magill. But Hogan says he is "not that politicised".

He is a family man who is thought to have nearly scuppered the Magill deal when he interrupted negotiations with Browne last Friday to spend time with his sons. By Monday he was the proud owner of what he calls "a cracking publication". It's No 38, but it won't be the last.