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from www.chicagotribune.com – After nearly 60 years as a Chicago-based institution, “Playboy” is moving its editorial operations out west. Executives confirmed that the magazine’s editorial, art and photo departments will be based out of the company’s Los Angeles office by May of next year.
“Some of the magazine’s Chicago employees have been asked to relocate, while others have been asked to stay on in Chicago to ensure a seamless transition,” said Playboy spokeswoman Theresa Hennessey in a statement Tuesday.
No final decisions have been made about other departments located at Playboy’s Chicago headquarters including human resources, public relations, legal, accounting and information technology. Hennessey declined to say how many employees are currently based in Chicago.
The move has been the subject of much speculation since March, when octogenarian founder Hugh Hefner bought back Playboy Enterprises, the company he founded in his Chicago apartment in 1953. Hefner moved to Los Angeles in 1975.
Scott Flanders, who has been Playboy Enterprises’ CEO since 2009 also lives in Southern California, while editor Jimmy Jellinek moved to Los Angeles in August.
Hefner hinted at the magazine’s relocation more than a year ago, when asked about the possibility of closing the Chicago offices in an October 2010 interview with Matt Pais of Chicago Tribune Media Group’s Metromix.com.
“I think we’re probably going to be doing that out of economic concerns, yes,” Hefner said. “We will be probably consolidating on the West Coast.”
The company went public in 1971 at the height of the flagship magazine’s popularity, but long-declining sales and a depressed stock price enabled Hefner to take the company private for about $207 million, outbidding rival Penthouse in the process. Average monthly circulation is about 1.5 million through June, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The news was first reported by Time Out Chicago.