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- guardian.co.uk, Friday December 15 2000 12.02 GMT
Smash Hits editor John McKie has been appointed as the new editor of Q magazine, ending months of uncertainty following the departure this summer of Andy Pemberton.
Mr McKie will replace editorial director Andrew Harrison, who has edited the magazine since Mr Pemberton's departure.
Mr Pemberton left the magazine suddenly amid rumours that its owner Emap was pushing its new digital strategy at the expense of popular magazine brands.
Insiders say Mr McKie, who has been editor of Smash Hits since 1997, is a "safe pair of hands" and predict that he will bring stability to the magazine.
