Vintage Article: The Demise of Bone (1997)

Nashville’s media community lost an important voice with the demise of Bone Music Magazine. Published monthly by Tuned In Broadcasting, owner of radio stations WRLT-FM and WRLG-FM, the October issue of Bone announced that it would be its last after 11 years of providing readers with in-depth coverage of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s unknown at this time whether the publication’s owners plan on resurrecting Bone anytime in the future.

Bone began life as The Metro, founded by original owner Gus Palas in 1985 as a biweekly publication. Palas later changed the frequency to monthly, increased its circulation and began distributing each issue regionally. The Metro rapidly became the Southeast’s premiere music magazine, providing coverage to a growing regional music scene. Advertising revenue was always a problem for the young publication, however, and after putting out 100 issues on a shoestring budget, Palas sold The Metro to Tuned In Broadcasting in 1992.

Under the guidance of publisher Ned Horton, The Metro began to thrive. Affiliated with Tuned In’s WRLT-FM, the magazine underwent a graphic facelift and editorially became much more national in scope. The name was changed to Bone Music Magazine with the 8th anniversary issue in 1993. A subsequent distribution deal with the Nashville-based Cat’s Records chain allowed the publication to reach new territories. Horton further expanded the publication’s reach by creating affiliations between Bone and other alternative radio stations nationwide.

At its peak, Bone was publishing nine varying editions with over 200,000 copies distributed monthly in dozens of markets, including Atlanta and Seattle. For nine months, the staff of Bone also produced a weekly supplement to Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper. Called T-Bone, it offered a format similar to the regular magazine, and was inserted in each Friday’s entertainment section. A pilot for a Bone television show was also produced and broadcast on a local station last summer. The magazine began to suffer during the last year, however, as advertising sales remained stagnant and many of its radio affiliates began to question their involvement with the publication. “The Internet became our largest competitor,” says former publisher Horton. “Stations began to move towards the web.” Current and potential affiliates preferred to concentrate on making their presence felt in the new medium and, says Horton, “we didn’t have an electronic answer to offer them.” When Horton left Tuned In Broadcasting a few months ago, the publication lost its only champion.

I must admit a certain personal sadness in the passing of Bone. I was involved with the publication from the very beginning, enlisted by Gus Palas as The Metro’s first writer. Bone, like The Metro before it, enjoyed a better reputation outside of Nashville than locally, but its 11-year run made it the Southeast’s longest running music magazine. Feature articles introduced readers to talents like Jason & the Scorchers, Steve Earle, R.E.M., John Hiatt, Blues Traveler, and many others. Folks like Horton and Palas, Lisa Hays, Rebecca Luxford, Jody Lentz, Daryl Sanders, Andy Anderson, and the other editors and writers who were involved with The Metro/Bone through the years made a valuable contribution not only to Nashville’s music scene, but to the industry at large. Its presence will be missed.

Originally published by R Squared zine, 1997