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Magazine publishers (IFG to Parkhill)
This is one of six pages about consumer
magazine publishers,
listed alphabetically, and their magazines. List of publishers on this
page to the right.
Other pages cover trade and business magazine
publishers and contract/customer magazine
publishers.
I Feel Good (IFG) - now
part of Dennis
I Feel Good was founded by
former Loaded and GQ editor James Brown and launched its
first title, Hot Dog, in May 2000. Dennis
Publishing
was an investor and had a member on the IFG board, so it was no surprise
when Dennis took over in 2003 (reports said it paid £6.4million
for the titles). Brown had left GQ after controversy over listing
WWII German field marshal Erwin Rommel in an article on stylish dressers
of the 20th century. However, this was probably only the final straw, with
his laddish approach not fitting Conde Nast's culture. IFG had bought
consumer titles Bizarre,
Fortean Times and Viz from John
Brown (no relation) in October 2001. In January 2002, IFG sold Hot
Dog
to Paragon and announced expansion for Viz from 6 to 10 issues a
year. Brown had credited Viz as an inspiration for Loaded.
Plans to concentrate on men's lifestyle with Jack failed. Brown
had been criticial of formulaic men's magazines and their concentration
on semi-naked women. Brown now spends his time writing and
in 2006 wrote and fronted a TV series I Predict a Riot.
- Bizarre
(M) 1997 launch by John Brown. Focuses on the extreme. Now run by Dennis.
Bizarre
profile
- Fortean
Times 'Journal of strange phenomena' bought by John Brown in
1991. Now run by Dennis.
- Hot Dog Film review monthly launched in May 2000 and sold
to Paragon in 2002
- Jack
(closed) Launched as quarterly in spring 2002 in 'handbag’ format. ‘An
orgy of war, animals, fashion, genius and cool.’ ‘Another great British
men’s mag with lions instead of lager.’ Used illustrated covers,
the first of which was closely based on a poster for 1958 US science-fiction
film Attack
of the 50ft Woman. Relaunched in larger format in November 2003
after being bought by Dennis, but closed in summer 2004
- Leeds, Leeds, Leeds
Official magazine of Leeds United football club
- Viz
(10 a year) Irreverent comic founded by former social security clerk
Chris Donald in 1979 in Newcastle (aged 19). Now run by Dennis.
Based in Bournemouth. Formed in 2005 by the former directors of Paragon,
which was sold to Highbury in 2003 for £32m. The company is backed
by venture capitalists and corporate financiers. Company aims for a quality
feel to appeal to older, more experienced computer users. Site is a tedious
Flash design. Uses Seymour for distribution. Launches in autumn 2005:
- Go
Play: digital magazine for the Playstation Portable games
console. Originally launched as a magazine by Highbury in late
2005. Last print issue was in January 2007
- Mac Creative (M). First issue August 2005. For advanced users
(£6)
- 360 (M) First issue September. Dedicated to the Microsoft Xbox
360 videogames console (£4)
- Cheat Machine (M). For Sony Playstation. First issue September
(£3.99)
- Photoshop Creative (M). First issue September (£6)
- Digital Video Techniques (M). First issue October (£5.99)
Largest UK consumer publisher, with about 22% of the market. Locked
in battle with Emap for leadership of men's and women's weekly markets.
Has history
page. Late 2006 and early 2007 saw a focus on websites: Now; whatsontv.co.uk; InStyle;
a homes portal, www.housetohome.co.uk to
add to three existing homes websites based on specific titles; and the
appointment of several digital executives.
Part of US media group Time Warner since 2001. Several titles and online
properties closed in advance of takeover. Changed name to IPC Media in
May 2000. Formed in December 1997 by management buyout from Reed worth
£860m, which was funded by Cinven venture capital. Had been expected
to float on the stock market by 2001, but rumours of sale began at end
of 1999. Invested £25m to launch big web initiative IPC Electric
at end of 1999, including women's portal Beme (closed 2001). Major extension
of branded goods during 1999 to Mizz and Home & Gardens.
Company divided into limited companies. Formed strategic alliance with
South African publisher Caxton, allowing the latter to use IPC content
from 14 titles. Future seen to rely on international and digital strategies.
Women's weeklies under pressure from celebrity launches and newspaper
supplements aimed at women, such as the Mail's You and the Mirror's
M launched in October 1999. Female managing director Sly Bailey
took over October 1999 but left in 2003 to head up Trinity Mirror newspaper
group. Led focus on brands and 'media neutral' publishing. Relaunched
1960s iconic fashion magazine Nova in May 2000 - but it closed
a year later. Part of the failure for this blamed on Cinven preparing
the company for sale. Jeremy Langmead, brought in to relaunch Nova,
said in a 2003 interview: ' ...they were getting ready to sell. And they
needed a tidy bottom line.' IPC changed face of men's magazine's worldwide
with Loaded in 1994, only to see its sales eclipsed by Emap's FHM
a couple of years later.
Corporate website has data on titles. Distribution and marketing division
Marketforce.
Structured as limited companies based on publishing groups. Back issues
and subscriptions from www.mags-uk.com.
IPC Connect Ltd. Marketed as 'the voice of women in Britain'.
Publishes women's weeklies with sales of about 2.7 million a week, and
readership exceeding 12 million (half the female population). Annual revenues
of over £88 million. Launched Eva in 1994 and Now
in October 1996. Now took over Here! from Gruner & Jahr
in April 1997. Woman (1937 launch) and Woman's Own (1932)
are general interest; Woman's Weekly aims at 40+ market; Woman's
Journal 'celebrating family values' was closed in 2001, as was its
replacement Your Life; Woman's Realm is dedicated to 'the
appreciation of the individual'; Now (1996) is celebrity-driven;
Chat (1985) features real life stories and puzzles. Mizz
is a lifestyle title for 10-14-year-old girls. Active in brand-extension.
Includes Chat's Juicy Fiction. Chat Moral Dilemmas
masthead TV deal announced with Flextech's Living cable channel in July
1999. On August 9, 1999 launched Women's Weekly Fiction Special
as a bi-monthly
IPC Electric. Set up as digital trading arm based on building
e-commerce networks around readerships, rather than on-line versions of
magazines. Strategy ultimately failed. Titles grouped in subject areas.
Major launch Beme for women was based on six moods or channels:
news (provided by Press Association); consumer; home life; culture &
trends; entertainment; and My Beme (careers, advice, etc). High profile
marketing included £1.5m sponsorship of US series Ally McBeal
on Channel 4. Also promoted through CD-Roms on covers of women's monthlies
(eg March 2000 Essentials). Unmissable TV related to listings magazines.
Music (NME, Melody Maker, Uncut) and men's lifestyle (Loaded,
Later, sports titles) were other areas for development. Beme, Unmissable
and UpLoaded closed in 2002. Strategy reverted to magazine-based approach,
with 16 sites active in 2003. (Compare with Conde
Nast)
tx Ltd. Claims half of the TV listings market, with 2.7 million
copy sales a week. What's on TV is Britain's best-selling weekly
magazine. Before the listings magazine market was deregulated in the mid-1980s,
TV Times and BBC's Radio Times formed a duopoly. The BBC's
title has always been more upmarket, and was the best-seller until deregulation.
TV & Satellite Week covers over 100 satellite, cable and terrestrial
channels. Film & TV Week, 1998 launch in TV & Satellite
Week format, failed
Southbank Publishing Company Ltd. Has 18 women's magazines, which
it claims are read by a third of all women each month. Closed Women's
Journal in 2000 and Options in early 1999, which had produced
a men's strap-on in 1984, OM. Magazines grouped into interest sectors:
- Fashion and beauty: Marie Claire; Marie Claire Health &
Beauty; Woman's Journal (revamped September 1999 to halt sales slide)
compete for 'prime time' readership. Marie Claire founded in
France in 1937 by industrialist Jean Prouvost. One of France's leading
up-market women's magazines published by Marie Claire Album SA. The
first international edition was launched in Japan in 1982. After a slow
start in the UK in 1988, it grew to challenge Cosmopolitan as
the top women's monthly. US edition began as a bi-monthly in March/April
1995 and went monthly in September 1995
- Home-interest: six titles claim highest market share. Ideal
Home; Homes & Gardens;
Country Homes & Interiors; Homes &
Ideas; Living
etc; and 25 Beautiful Homes, a bi-monthly
'voyeur's guide to beautiful homes'. In May 2007, Southbank
launched a homes portal www.housetohome.co.uk
to add to the three magazine-based websites it already ran.
- Women's general: Woman & Home; Essentials and Family
Circle
- Women's special interest: Wedding and Home; Hair; Practical
Parenting and Expecting Our Baby (was Our Baby until
Sept 1999)
- Young women: Mizz and 19, which sent SMS mobile
phone broadcasts based on gossip and horoscopes sent to readers who
registered in 2000
Country & Leisure Media (CALM). Diverse 37 titles in 16 markets;
turnover exceeds £60 million: aviation (Aeroplane
Monthly), angling, birds, caravaning, collecting, country pursuits,
equestrian, gardening, photography, rail, wine (Decanter),
yachting:
- Country lifestyle: Country
Life founded 1897. The
Field launched in 1853 claims to be the 'world's oldest country
magazine'. Shooting Times (W) launched in 1882. The Countryman.
Sporting Gun. Angler's Mail (W).
- Equestrian: Horse
& Hound launched 1884, oldest equestrian journal. Website
since Nov 2000. Horse Magazine. Eventing. Horse Exchange
- Boating: Practical Boat Owner Britain's largest selling
yachting magazine; Yachting World; and other six titles covered
by YBW and International
Boat Industry website sinces 1997
- Sport: World
Soccer and two titles for younger football fans, Shoot
and Soccerstars. Rugby
World is 'the biggest-selling rugby magazine in the world'.
Golf Monthly. Women and Golf. Cycling Weekly; Mountain Bike
Rider. IPC's Link House Motoring Group publishes eight titles for
enthusiasts, such as Mini World and VolksWorld
- Special interest: 17 titles including Amateur Photographer
(W); What Camera; Amateur Gardening (W) launched in 1884, Britain's
oldest gardening weekly; New Eden modern gardening magazine launched
1999 in square A4 format but failed; Decanter; Cage & Aviary
Birds
Ignite! (lifestyle and music). 29 magazines, turnover £55 million.
Male interest lifestyle, music, football, rugby, golf, cycling, motorcycling
(Super Bike),
motorsport and cars:
- Lifestyle: Loaded reinvented the men's market of fashion-based
Arena, GQ, FHM and Esquire, when it was launched
by former NME deputy editor James Brown (see IFG)
in April 1994. The 'inside story' was recounted by Tim Southwell in
Getting Away with It (Ebury 1998). Website Uploaded.com launched
in December 1995 but closed 2002. Loaded Fashion launched in
1998 as a bi-annual. January 2000 Loaded had 100 different covers.
Later aimed at 25-40 year-old men launched in 1999 but closed
in 2001
- Music: New
Musical Express (one of the first magazines on the web), Melody
Maker (closed in 2000), Muzik, Uncut, The Guitar Magazine, Hi-Fi
News & Record Review, Music Business. NME and Melody
Maker weekly tabloids were nick-named the 'inkies'. Other launches
in 1980s and 90s (mainly from Emap) resulted in steady sales decline.
Relaunch for MM (founded in 1927) from tabloid to A4 glossy in
summer 1999. This failed and MM was merged into NME at
end of 2000. High profile spin-off Vox in October 1990 ultimately
failed against Emap's strength in the area
JF Media took over KYN and Golf Punk, its
sole title, in December 2006. The company is run by Phil Babb, the former
Liverpool footballer who was one of the
founding investors in the magazine. The company plans to expand into sports
and lifestyle titles and to launch more international editions.
Southwell left and founded Mind How You Go Media, leaving
travel editor Owen Blackhurst to step up as editor. Golf Punk had
an ABC circulation figure of 16,644 in the second half of 2007.
KYN (Keep Yourself
Nice) Publishing Ltd
Taken over by JF Media in 2006. Founded by Tim Southwell
(former editor of Loaded)
in 2003. Genesis Investments led a venture capital syndicate with Hotbed
(£625,000)
and the Arbib family to invest £1.25 million in the publisher.
Launched six-a-year Golf
Punk with Beyoncé Knowles on the cover of April 2004
issue. Described as 'the golf mag for the rest of us'; aimed at golfers
aged between 17-40 who were not being served by existing titles. Staff
included Steve Read, former creative director of Jack, and Iestyn
George, former features editor of GQ.Went monthly with March
2005 issue. Plans for men's lifestyle launch in 2005 never came off.
However, Golf
Punk launched Italian, German,
Indonesian and Swedenish editions.
Magicalia was founded in 1999 by founded by joint managing directors
Jeremy Tapp and Adam Laird to run community-based websites. It is based
in Orpington, Kent. In July 2006, it was bought by Exponent Private Equity
and in August that year, it moved into magazines, buying up Encanta Media
(the company formed from nine specialist interest titles that were sold
off when Highbury House collapsed). Magicalia calls itself a ‘cross-media
publisher’ and ran 45 websites by 2008 – some for other publishers
- covering topics such as mountain biking, golf, surfing, gardening and
parenthood.
In a Financial Times interview (December
2006), Peter Harkness (who had led Encanta) was unashamed about the extreme
specialisation of Magicalia's consumer magazines and websites. ‘You've
heard of B2B. Well, this is G2G,’ he
said. ‘That's geek to geek.’ The article added: ‘Magicalia
has an acquisition fund from Exponent in the region of £100m. It
has just agreed to acquire a group of magazines for more than £10m
and made a "modest" deal for two leisure magazines predicted
to add £2.5m in sales.’
The company's deals include:
- Practical Parenting from IPC in January 2008;
- Junior, Junior Pregnancy and Baby, and Pregnacy,
Baby and You from Future
in July 2007 (it already owned thinkbaby.co.uk);
- Good
Woodworking from Future Publishing (April 2007);
- Two Wheels Only from Haymarket (in January 2007)
and Visordown.com, a motorcycling community website set up in 2000
(bought in April 2007).
In January 2008, its websites were grouped in five sectors:
- lifestyle: AVReview, ThinkBaby, ThinkCamera and Gardening;
- cycling:
Bikemagic, RoadcyclingUK, LondonCycleSport, LeTourGuide and SheCycles;
- outdoors:
Outdoorsmagic, Golfmagic, Surfmagic, Fishingmagic and TheMainSail;
- hobbies:
ModelFlying, MilitaryModelling, ModelBoats;
- motorcycling: Visordown.
Media 10 was founded in November 2002. Specialises
in home and design titles, including two titles based on Channel 4 television
series.
- 4Homes
(monthly): launched in 2006. Based on Channel 4 TV series.
- Icon
(monthly): aims to promote the most inspiring buildings, interiors,
furnishings and fittings. Launched in April 2003. Distributed in Borders
book shops;
- Grand
Designs (monthly): launched in 2004. Based on Talkback series
for Channel 4.
Also runs Grand Designs Live exhibition and Design and Decoration Awards.
Contact: Media 10 Limited, National House, High Street, Epping, Essex, CM16
4BD, Tel: 01992 570030
Media Cell Publishing (closed 2004)
Part of The Media Cell, which has a media sales division and a creative
agency
- Adrenalin: English, German and French versions of this surf,
skate and snow lifestyle title
- Battle of the Belfry: golfer Arnold Palmer's guide to the
Ryder Cup
- Bogey: golf and designer lifestyle combined in 2003. Won best
designed launch from Press Gazette
- Hale Irwin: for affluent golfers, named after American golfer
Metropolis has an eclectic mix of consumer titles, mainly founded by
Diamond Publishing, and business titles based on part of Quantum list,
which closed in 2005. Consumer list:
- Adrenalin:
surf, skate and snowboarding quarterly first published in 1999. Has
English, German, French and Italian versions
- Record Collector established in 1980 by Diamond
- Book & Magazine Collector established in 1994 by Diamond
- Family History monthly established in 1996 by Diamond
Business list:
- The Landscaper A5 monthly established in 1998
- Building Products established in 1977. Bought from Quantum
- Laboratory News monthly established in 1972. Bought from
Quantum
Contact: Metropolis International (UK), 140 Wales Farm Road, London W3
6UG, UK. Tel: +44 (0)870 737 8080
Mind How You Go Media
Content developer set up in 2007 by Tim Southwell, former editor of lads'
mag Loaded,
and John Dean after KYN was sold to JF
Media. First
project was a social networking website called isporty.com.
Next was a customer magazine for Sony with Simon Kanter
at Haymarket's customer publishing
arm. Former Loaded and Golf
Punk writer
Ben Marshall was features editor of Sony Magazine. Southwell
was reported to be working on a men's lifestyle magazine and website.
Mollin Publishing (closed 2001) Back
to top
With funding from US millionaire Harold Mollin, bought rights to titles
from US Weider Publications, which specialises in healthy living (Fitness
Online). Weider claims distribution in 35 languages
- Jump October 1999 launch for teenage women's title taking
on EMAP's J-17. Sent out 250,000 sample copies before news-stand
launch. Closed 2001
- Men's Fitness July 1999 launch. Looks like Rodale's Men's
Health, but has anti-six-pack approach with motto 'get fit or feel
sh**'. Taken over by Dennis
- Shape Women's health and fitness. April 1999 launch. Taken
over by Dennis
National Magazine is a wholly owned subsidiary of US group Hearst.
Also known as NatMags or NatMag. National Magazines was set up in 1910.
Its website has links to facts and descriptions of all its magazines.
NatMags has 14 titles and three joint venture companies:
- NatMag Rodale Ltd : equal joint venture
with US group Rodale to publish
Men's Health, Runner's World under a long-term licence
along with their websites and Fetcheveryone.com;
- ACP-Nat Mag: in March
2008, NatMags bought Australia's ACP out of the UK joint venture
set up in December 2004 to publish women's weeklies (Best, Reveal and
later Real People). NatMags had taken over Gruner & Jahr's
UK portfolio in July 2000;
- Comag: distribution company formed in 1977 between
The National Magazine Company and Condé Nast Publications.
NatMag also owns the Hearst Digital Network, which publishes websites
such as Handbag.com and Netdoctor.com.
NatMags is best known for women's monthlies Cosmopolitan and Good
Housekeeping. The former was
for many years the UK's best-seller, but NatMags failed to halt the rise
of Condé Nast's Glamour,
and in fact copied
Glamour's 'handbag' format for Cosmopolitan.
NatMags tried to establish a new publishing model for digital magazines
with Jellyfish launched
in 2007. Initially, this was focused on the upper teen market served
by Cosmo Girl!, but when the
magazine closed in June 2007, the digital switched its target market
to 18-24-year-olds. Jellyfish itself soon closed.
-
Coast.
Quarterly aimed at owners, or would-be owners, of houses near the sea
- Company (1978). Tight focus on 'freedom years' for women
between starting work and having a family
- Cosmopolitan
Started in US in 1886 as a fiction magazine. Recreated by Helen Gurley
Brown. Came to UK in 1972. Experimented with general interest men's
magazine as long ago as winter 1984 with a Cosmo Man strap-on.
Cosmopolitan Hair spin-off in October 1999. Also has Real
Life Stories
- Cosmo Girl!
launched in US September 1999; closed in 2007. Major web focus and
four inserts: Playboy-like
'hot centrefold'; calendar; college guide and stickers.
- US
Cosmopolitan
- Country Living UK version of US title
- Esquire
(M) UK version of US title
- Good Housekeeping UK version of US title. Also has 'Buy the
best' and 'Having a baby' brand extensions
- Harper's & Queen Created in late 1970 by takeover of Queen
(founded 1861) by Harper's Bazaar. Titles were both then fortnightly
- House Beautiful UK version of US title
- Jellyfish (closed):
free weekly digital magazine for registered readers launched in early
2007 (see also Monkey from Dennis).
Initially for teenage girls aged 11 to 19, then older 18-24 market.
(Known internally as Project Celia). The 'magazine' was sent electronically
every Tuesday to people who sign up. Celia Duncan was the editor. Viral
marketing and advertising in other NatMags titles were used to promote
the title. Jellyfish used
Ceros technology from Applecart, a UK e-publishing consultancy, to
give the appearance of pages being turned over (also used by Emap for Digital
Living and for Dennis Publishing's Monkey).
Dennis uses the term 'eMag' for Monkey. Jellyfish focused
on fast fashion, celebrity videos and postings from readers, with most
of the content drawn from websites. Products on the fashion
and shopping pages could be bought online using a click-and-buy system.
As the website said, 'If it moves, click on it.'
- She (M):
1955 launch
- Zest (M)
: Started as a band-on to Cosmo. Initially a quarterly. Went
monthly in April 1996. In 1997, became a masthead TV programme.
Hearst Corporation
is one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with 16
US titles and 97 international editions distributed in more than 100
countries. It is also a newspaper publisher and broadcaster; syndication
company includes rights to Hagar the Horrible. Hearst owns a quarter
of women’s portal iVillage since
the latter bought rival Women.com, along with HomeArts.com, in 2001.
Hearst has many versions of its magazines internationally (Cosmo is
published in more than 30 countries from France to
Indonesia). Imported Glenda Bailey, editor of UK Marie Claire (a
title owned by Hachette of France and published with IPC in the UK),
for US launch of
the title. Hearst joined with film group Miramax to launch high profile
monthly Talk in September 1999 with Tina Brown as editor. Brown,
with her husband Harold Evans, were leading members of British contingent
in New York. After a successful career in London on Vogue, she
went on to revive Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Talk closed
in 2001. Brown revived links with Conde Nast, taking on editorial advisory
board role for their contract launch Tate.
News Magazines is the consumer magazine division of Rupert Murdoch's
UK publishing arm, News
International. The division was set up in 2005 with a brief to
capitalise on the growing market for weeklies - the group's Sun daily
has lost readers to the weekly lad's magazines Zoo and Nuts.
NI already had two monthly spin-offs from the Sunday Times newspaper:
Travel (a contract title by River
since 1993) and Inside
Out (though this 2006 launch closed in 2007).
The women's weekly Love It! mixes celebrity with real life
stories. It was the first launch by News Magazines in February 2006.
The company was reported to be developing another weekly for launch
in early 2007 under former Hello! editor Maria Trkulja. However,
this - and a rumoured news magazine called Spectrum - have both
gone quiet since the division won the contract to publish Sky for its
sister company BSkyB.
The company has a website but
all it carries are the terms and conditions for advertising in the magazines.
Contact: News Magazines, 2 Chelsea Manor, Chelsea,
London SW3 5PN. Tel: +44 (0)20 7198 3031; email: karen.pasqualijones@newsmagazines.co.uk
Newsfield Publishing Ltd
Newsfield was founded in 1983 and based in Ludlow, Shropshire. It published
mainly computer games titles, the best known being Crash for
the Sinclair Spectrum and Zzap!64 for
Commodore micros. It
attempted to expand into other areas, such as role-playing games and
film, with mixed success. It lays claim to having published an early
lad's mag in LM. The company ran into financial problems and
sold off its titles and closed down in 1991.
Wikipedia entry on Newsfield
Computer magazines
Pornographic magazines made the fortunes of the company, which moved into
more mainstream publishing in the 1980s with varying degrees of success.
Biggest title is Hello!-like OK! Originally launched as a
monthly, it went weekly and bought up a series of exclusive photographs,
such as Michael Jackson's baby, and media weddings, such as footballer David
Beckham and 'Posh' Spice Girl Victoria Adams. Sales figures in mid-1999
challenged Hello! near the half-million level. Running battles with
Hello!, which accuses OK! of copying its ideas and designs.
OK! settled legal case out of court in November 1999 over its claims
to have sold more than Hello! Rivalry increased when owner Richard
Desmond took over Express newspaper group. OK! given away with
paper, controversially boosting sales figures until ABC changed the rules.
Hello! linked up with Express's great rival Daily Mail to
run similar promotions. In 2002, Hot Stars celebrity and TV listings
A4 title included with OK!
- Hot Stars (weekly; 2002): 'OK!'s cheeky little sister',
a celebrity and TV listings A4 title included with OK!
- New! (W; Mar 2003): celebrity magazine at 60p, compared with
Emap's Heat at £1.45. Initial print run of 800,000 copies.
Sample copies given away with Hachette's Sugar in May 2004
- OK!
(W; Apr 93): celebrity weekly. Market leadership in the UK established
through exclusive deals on weddings such as those of Catherine Zeta-Jones/Michael
Douglas, the Beckhams, and Britney Spears. Also published in the US
(8th version in 2005) China and Australia
- Star (W; Nov 2003) A5 format based on the celebrity-driven
strategy of the company's daily newspaper of the same name
Based in Newquay, Devon, Orca publishes three surfing magazines:
- Carve: surfing magazine published eight times a year. Launched
1994
- Surfgirl: quarterly with Carve. Launched in 2002
- Threesixty: specialises in bodyboarding. Published 11 times
a year. Launched in 1981. Claims to be Britain's longest-running surf
magazine
The company runs an online shop selling surfing DVDs, posters, books
and accessories such as boardbags.
Founded in 1998 in Bristol. Taken over by BBC
Magazines in early 2004 (press
release). Had 13 consumer specialist and 16 contract titles, including
HMV Choice and Waterstone's Books Quarterly, supported by
seven websites. Following the refocusing of the BBC magazine strategy announced
in December 2004, the company was sold to management buy-out team led by
Origin managing director, Andy Marshall in April 2006 (press
release). The BBC moved its branded titles to a new subsidiary, Bristol
Magazines. The BBC cherry-picked Origin's list, keeping its own branded
titles, some others (such as Focus) that were owned by Origin and
Origin's contract titles. Origin was left with:
- Blonde Hair, Hair Ideas and Your Hair
- Cross Stitch Crazy, Cross Stitch Gold, Cross Stitch Card Shop,
DMC Cross Stitch Favourites, DMC Spring Favourites and The
World of Cross-stitching
- Card Making and Papercraft, Quick Cards Made Easy and
Beautiful Cards
- Koi
- 220 Triathlon
The company's Living
History was closed after the BBC takeover in favour of BBC
History. It was a March 2003 launch based on practical, hands-on
approach with 32-page section covering places to visit.
Paragon Publishing Ltd (closed) Back to
top
Company sold to Highbury in 2003, which then foundered and sold off all
titles, mainly to Future and Remnant/SMD Publishing.
Paragon had been founded in 1991 by two ex-Future employees, Dianne Tavener
and Richard Monteiro. First title was console magazine SegaPro. May
1999 saw company sold to a management team funded by venture capitalists
and led by Mark Simpson. Then bought computing specialist IDG Media. Published
more than 30 consumer specialist magazines, mainly in videogames, PC, web
and DVD/home entertainment sectors, often backed by websites. It also used
the 'Made Easy' brand. However, it showed a more innovative side, with titles
on puzzles and football. In 1996, it licensed Uri Geller's Encounters;
in 2000, Shop@Home claimed to be the first monthly internet shopping
magazine; and it acquired Hot Dog from IFG in 2002. Active in licensing
overseas. Based in Bournmouth (website was www.paragon.co.uk). Taken over
by Highbury House in August 2003, in a deal said to be worth £32m.
Between them, Highbury-Paragon and Highbury-WVIP owned all five titles in
ABC's home entertainment sector (sales 10,000 to 36,000). Also, H-P had
three of the nine titles in Playstation sector, although this was dominated
by Future with five titles and the runaway bestseller, Official Playstation
2 - which tripled the sales of nearest rival, H-P's Play. Titles
included:
- Hot Dog Film review magazine bought from IFG
in 2002
- Total Games Network
- Carol Vorderman Puzzle Challenge
- Internet Access Made Easy one of the 'Made Easy' range
- Powerstation (M, 1996) Sony Playstation magazine is one of
its biggest earners, though overshadowed by Future
- Practical Internet
- What's On-line
- DVD Review bestseller in home entertainment sector
Italian publisher founded in 1961 that is best known in the UK for its
sticker books. So it seemed an odd move when the company bought fortnightly
teen title Mizz from IPC Media (10 March 2006). However, Panini
is a large publisher of teen and children's titles, particularly comics,
across Europe. Doctor Who, Postman Pat and the Marvel
range are part of its portfolio in the UK. It has subsidiaries in the
UK, Spain/Portugal, France, Holland, Germany/Austria, Brazil and Chile
but its products are distributed or licensed in many more countries. Based
in Modena.
Panini's UK comics
Parkhill Publishing Ltd
Back to top
Set up by former Sunday Express editor Eve Pollard. Launched mature
women's magazine Aura in May 2000 at £2.50 for women in their
'Jaffa Cake years' ('the juciest bits in the centre of our lives'). As
the launch issue said: 'We were the ones who read Honey, wore
loons and Biba T-shirts, screamed at the Monkees, had the Che Guevera
poster... We were groovy. We still are.' Failed to make progress and
closed within a year. See IPC's Nova, Hachette/Emap's Red and
BBC's Eve.
Women's monthly magazines
Permanent is an extreme sports magazine publisher based in Abingdon,
near Oxford. It was established in 1995 and set up a US arm in California
in 2002.
- The Surfer's
Path claims to be the 'first (and, so far as we know, the only)
truly “green” surf magazine'. Has UK and US editions. Published
six times a year
- Sidewalk:
monthly for skateboarders
- Urban
Climber: covers bouldering, sport and competition climbing,
and gym climbing. Published six times a year
- Whitelines:
for snowboarders. Published six times a year
Also runs Network26.com,
a gateway to the above as well as two extreme sports titles from smaller
publishers: Kiteworld
(328 Media) and Dig BMX
Extreme sports magazines
Company set up by publisher Mario Kyriacou for May
2007 launch of Utopia,
a kitchen and bathroom monthly aiming to be the Vogue of
the market under editor Becky Rushmer. Target readership is AB, 30-55
year olds, including homeowners with a high disposable income, professional
women, ladies who lunch, interior designers and architects/specifiers.
Contact: 15
Rainbow Road,
West Mersea,
Colchester,
Essex
CO5 8RE. Tel: 01206 384148
Scottish specialist consumer and contract publisher established in 1995.
Has a stable of its own and contract titles, based around outdoor sports
and tourism. Leading title is golf magazine Bunkered. In March
2006, Pro-Sports Promotions branched out with No.1
- ‘Scotland’s answer to Hello! And OK!’.
Titles include:
- Bunkered:
published eight times a year. Covers all aspects of golf. Scotland's
best-selling golf title with an audited circulation of more than 26,500.
- Scottish Club Golfer: distributed free to golf outlets in
Scotland six times a year.
- English Club Golfer: distributed free to golf outlets in
England six times a year.
- Welsh Club Golfer: distributed free to golf outlets in Wales
four times a year.
- The Scottish Mountaineer: sent by post four times a year
to the 10,000 members of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
- Nationwide
Bowler: February 2006 launch. Sent four times per year to UK
bowls clubs.
Contact: Pro-Sports Promotions Ltd, Unit 12, Anniesland Village, Netherton
Road, Glasgow G13 1AS. Tel: 0141 950 2216. Email: print@prosportsltd.co.uk
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