Nichola Browne is to be the new editor of the UK's biggest selling music weekly, Kerrang!
Browne, Kerrang!'s features editor, replaces Paul Brannigan, who announced in June he was stepping down after four years.
She will be the eighth editor of Kerrang! in its 28-year history, and its second female editor, the first being Robyn Dorian in the early 1990s. Browne has been with the Bauer Media title for seven years, joining as news editor.
Last month NME appointed Krissi Murison, the music director of Nylon magazine in New York, to be its first female editor in its 57-year history.
Murison takes over from Conor McNicholas, who has been appointed editor of BBC Worldwide's Top Gear magazine, on 1 September.
Browne joined Emap's consumer magazine business, which was bought by Bauer in late 2007, in 1999 on the company's journalism traineeship scheme. Her first editorial position was as staff writer on J-17.
"I am thrilled to be taking the helm at the loudest, most exciting music magazine on the planet," Browne said.
"I've been reading Kerrang! since I was 13 years old – the magazine and the bands we love have helped shape me into the person I am today. I can't wait to get started with the brilliant Kerrang! team on making Kerrang! bigger, bolder and better than ever. The fun starts here!"
Stuart Wiliams, managing director of Kerrang!, added: "For 28 years Kerrang! has been at the very heart of the rock scene in UK and around the world and it came as no surprise that there was a lot of interest in the role from across the industry. Nichola's wealth of experience with the magazine and her vision for the brand made her the standout choice to lead Kerrang!."
Kerrang! is the biggest-selling weekly music magazine, but the music weeklies were the biggest casualties as the consumer music magazine sector suffered a combined circulation drop of nearly 10% in the first half of 2009, according to figures released last week.
The Bauer title's average sales fell 28.3% year on year to 43,253. IPC Media's NME, had an average weekly circulation of 40,948 in the first half of 2009, down 27.2% year on year.
Future Publishing's monthly, Metal Hammer, lost 5.2% of its sales year on year, down to 46,004.
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