Time Inc. announced today that the upcoming September/October issue of Southern Accents will be the magazine’s last. Its Web site, SouthernAccents.com, will still operate, the company said.

Time Inc. subsidiary Southern Progress Corp. purchased Southern Accents in 1985. The 32-year-old magazine was published six times a year. A rep for Southern Accents told FishbowlNY that 20 people would be affected by the magazine’s closure, although she wasn’t sure whether they would be let go or retained in some way. “The company is going to make every effort to retain the employees,” she added.

“Southern Accents is an elegant, sophisticated brand that has resonated with its devoted readers for many years,” said Sylvia Auton, the Time Inc. executive VP who oversees the Lifestyle Group. “However, in this difficult economy, we need to focus our energy, resources and investment on our biggest and most profitable brands, so we had to make this difficult decision.”

Southern Progress, which also publishes titles like Southern Living, Cooking Light, Health and Coastal Living, has gone through some tough cost cutting in recent months, with several staffers getting the axe.

Here it is, a rainy Friday afternoon and more bad news about layoffs falls into our inbox. We almost don’t want to report it, it’s all so depressing.

The Media of Birmingham is reporting that Time Inc. subsidiary Southern Progress, which publishes Southern Living, laid off five to seven staffers today. Publicists at Southern Progress were not available to answer our calls for more information this afternoon.

But if you know anything send us an email

Earlier: ‘Major’ Layoffs At Time Inc.’s Southern Progress Magazines