As we first reported Automobile fired its editor and much of its staff, and its parent company Source Interlink axed other employees (and possibly magazines). We also learned that Source Interlink was becoming The Enthusiast Network, or TEN. We've now obtained a copy of what appears to be the newly renamed company's organization chart.
Whether or not this indicates exactly who has a job or not is unclear, but if your publication is not on this chart that's probably not a great sign. It's also unclear whether or not all of these different brands will remain in print.
UPDATE: Via Motor Trend's Scott Evans on Facebook and a press release posted to Automobile, we have some information. Evans also says this chart is "outdated," which seems to indicate many of these decisions may have been made only recently. Here's how he says the brands are being organized:
Popular Hot Rodding folds into Hot Rod.
Rod & Custom folds into Street Rodder.
High Performance Pontiac folds into Hot Rod.
Custom Classic Trucks folds into Classic Trucks.
4 Wheel Drive & SUV folds into Four Wheeler.
Mud Life folds into Four Wheeler.
5.0 Mustang folds into Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords.
Modified Mustangs & Fords folds into Mustang Monthly.
Camaro Performers folds into Super Chevy.
GM Hi-Tech folds into Super Chevy.
Import Tuner folds into Super Street.
Honda Tuning folds into Super Street.
Evans also added that "The point of all this consolidation is to reduce redundancy in our titles. TEN, through its various owners and names, acquired a lot of magazines and there simply is no need to have so many overlapping brands anymore." That makes perfect sense.
It's also uncertain if the name change — not to be confused with the porn network with a similar name — has anything to do with Source Interlink's magazine distribution services being reportedly unable to pay millions of dollars unable to pay millions of dollars to the companies, like Time Inc.
UPDATE: Scott Evans again provides detail here, pointing out that the Source Interlink Media and Source Interlink Distribution split off in October.
This reorganization may seem harsh to some, but the company has put a lot of money into its digital offerings and, with magazine publishing being what it is and the company showing signs of financial issues, something probably had to be done.
Find anything interesting in the document?
Via Jalopnik TEN's Reorganization Chart