Flashes&Flames: Kevin Hand, a controversial and influential leader in the UK magazine market for almost 30 years, has died in London after a short illness. He was aged 64.
He began his media career as a graduate trainee at the former Link House which published enthusiast magazines on cars, boats, wine and caravans. In 1983, he joined EMAP, the larger and livelier east of England publisher built from regional newspapers and magazines on motorbikes, photography, cars, fishing and gardening. It started to accelerate with the ground-breaking 1978 launch of the million-selling fortnightly Smash Hits. EMAP had crashed the big league of UK magazine publishers.
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