XXL is not ready to throw in the towel on its print edition just yet. In September, Music Times reported that the hip-hop magazine had been bought out and the Townsquare Media acquisition led to a digital-only move. But editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten says that is no longer the case and there will be more print editions of the magazine.
"We are going to continue doing magazines," Satten said while talking to MTV News.
Satten did reveal that the issues will be less frequent than they are now, but she assured they will happen.
"We'll do another issue this year, several issues next year, I'm not exactly sure what the number is, we'll figure it out but [they'll] definitely [be] magazines next year," she said. "There'll definitely be Freshmen and we're going on with a new company."
Last month, it was announced that the magazine would shift from print to newer forms of media and revenue streams.
"We think XXL has strong potential in both the digital and live events market," Bill Wilson, chief content officer of Townsquare, told the New York Post. The company operates 331 radio stations as well as a number of websites.
"I think it is an opportunity for Townsquare to do more with [the franchise]," said Ben Harris, president of Harris Publications, who started XXL in 1997 to rival Vibe.
During its nearly two-decade-long run, XXL became widely known for its annual Freshman class covers. Chance The Rapper, Kevin Gates and Rich Homie Quan were featured this year, among others.
