• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 17, 2009

PRWeek is suspending its weekly print publication and replacing it with a monthly edition, the Haymarket Media-owned trade title announced. The magazine will go to a monthly schedule beginning in June -- offering more thoughtful long-form content, with an emphasis on analysis, interviews and features as opposed to breaking news.

PRWeek is maintaining and expanding its Web presence with a weekly online edition -- delivered every Friday via email, which will include the popular features from the print edition, as well as a variety of digital media.

The digital edition, which will only be available to subscribers, is set to debut May 1. Access to breaking news and other content on the Web site will also be limited to subscribers.

The news comes a few weeks after rumors circulated that another big media trade publisher, Nielsen, is considering folding Brandweek as a stand-alone magazine and may incorporate it into either Adweek or Mediaweek. Around the same time, its competitor Ad Age revealed plans to cut back its frequency from 50 issues per year to 43 or 44, citing the general retrenchment of advertising during the recession.

Over the last couple of years, many trade publications have seen ad pages decline, with losses accelerating during one of the steepest economic downturns in recent history. In late March, American Business Media predicted a 19% to 22% drop in business-to-business ad revenues in 2009, following a 7.3% drop in 2008. Ad pages for 2008 were down 9.6%. Overall losses appeared to be accelerating, with ad revenues down 13.1% in the fourth quarter.