• by Michael Shields , June 29, 2004

Razor magazine publisher Richard Botto Tuesday shook up his editorial staff, terminating Editor in Chief Craig Knight and replacing him with himself.

Allison Young, previously Razor's managing editor, was also promoted to executive editor and creative director.

Botto implied that Knight was not let go based on his work on Razor's editorial product, but rather as a result of some internal conflicts. "It was my opinion that we needed a change at the top. There were several incidents and transgressions that warranted this," he alleged.

The shakeup at Razor occurs just as the three-and-a-half-year-old men's title has been generating positive buzz from feature stories in its current issue, which includes a cover story on an outspoken Howard Stern. Circulation and ad revenue have also been on the rise in the past year.

Botto said he is pleased with the book's editorial and does not plan major changes. "The editorial mission remains on track," he said. "I am excited for an opportunity to add things from my lifestyle to the magazine."

He expressed confidence in his staff's ability to deal with the changes at the top, highlighting Allison Young's role as being key. "She has had a large influence on what Razor had become," he said.

Razor will also relocate its editorial group from Toronto to its headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., with additional staff to be based at a new editorial bureau in New York later this summer.