The IT sector - and the media channels it sustains - have faced significant headwinds since late 2022 when markets lost patience with overcooked valuations: cue layoffs and a general retreat. In Australia, the tech media sector is characterised by a vibrant set of largely independent publishers, coverage by the majors like the Australian and the AFR, and two firms owned by international publishers - Foundry (the old IDG) and Next Media owned by Forum Media Group.

As of April, Foundry and Next Media face a new challenge with the arrival of The Channel Company, which Mi3 Fast News has learned has decided not to renew its licence agreement with Next Media for CRN. The Channel Company will publish the masthead itself and is advertising on LinkedIn for an editor.

After it hands back the licence, Mi3 understands that Next Media will publish its own channel title, based on the capabilities it has built in the IT channel over more than a decade. While it loses the Masthead and a news feed, it retains ownership of a range of successful events, along with an award-winning editorial team.

That will mean five titles are chasing marketing revenues in the already competitive IT Channel market; ARN, CRN, Channel News, and Moxie Insights, and Next Media's new masthead, yet to be named, but likely to publish its first edition in the first week of April.

According to the advertisement, "CRN Australia is seeking a talented and hard-working Editor to join its ANZ editorial team....You will be responsible for creating and leading editorial content in ANZ and growing the brand over time. This will involve producing a wide range of content including news, interviews, and in-depth analysis. This content will be published in English, so a fluent English speaker is required to successfully fill this role... In-depth knowledge of the ANZ IT channel is essential."

- Additional reporting by Andrew Birmingham, who has worked for a frighteningly large number of the companies named in this story.