MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — After 72 years in print, the glossy magazine that extolled the virtues of Vermont to residents and tourists alike has come to an end.

The final print edition of Vermont Life went out to subscribers this week. The state, which publishes Vermont Life, will retain the rights to the brand and may shift towards digital content, although no such plans currently are in place.

"There have been substantial changes in recent years and that seems to continue to accelerate, and print media is certainly bearing the brunt of a lot of that change," Michael Schirling, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said at a news conference on Thursday.

The magazine ran up a deficit of $3.5 million over the last decade, and both subscription numbers and advertising revenue have declined in recent years. Ownership of Vermont Life was put out for bid last year, but all bids were rejected in January.

The six employees of the magazine learned early Thursday that the magazine was folding and that their positions are be eliminated.

Vermont Life was founded in 1946.

Schirling said his grandparents were subscribers of the magazine.

"Unfortunately my grandmother's not with me to yell at me about today but she probably wouldn't be very happy," he said.