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Tag: BBC Magazines

  • BBC Magazines to launch Lonely Planet title

    BBC Magazines to launch Lonely Planet title

    MUMBAI: BBC Magazines will launch Lonely Planet magazine later this year in the UK.

    The monthly title will integrate the BBC’s expertise in quality travel and cultural programming with Lonely Planet’s reputation as a global travel brand.

    The magazine will appeal to open-minded, inquisitive people who have a real sense of adventure and a desire to learn about, and connect with, the people and places they visit.

    Predominantly aimed at frequent travellers with the time and means to indulge their passion, Lonely Planet magazine will combine inspirational ideas for future trips -from short breaks in the UK to long-haul journeys – with outstanding journalism and photography.

    The title will feature travel and related themes, encouraging readers to seek out their own authentic adventures and to share their experiences. In November 2007, BBC Worldwide bought a 75 per cent stake in Lonely Planet, one of the world’s most successful travel information providers. Lonely Planet has over 360 writers and photographers and produces around 500 travel books on destinations around the world, downloadable digital guides, an award-winning website, wireless applications and television programmes.

    BBC Magazines’ Group editorial director Nick Brett said, “Editorially, the two brands are a perfect match for each other. Lonely Planet has long wanted a magazine in its portfolio, which we can now provide, and the BBC has an array of travel programmes and talent that we can bring to the party.”

    f Lonely Planet magazine publisher Dominic Murray said: “The Lonely Planet brand has real appeal for this audience and I believe this new title brings unrivalled trust and expertise, as well as humour and entertainment to the travel magazine category.”

    The title will be produced from BBC Worldwide’s west London office and will be edited by Peter Grunert, previously Deputy Editor, Top Gear Magazine.

    BBC Magazines will publish the title in the UK under licence from Lonely Planet, in which BBC Worldwide has a majority stake. BBC Magazines also plans to publish the title in other key territories in the future.

  • BBC Magazines to launch weekly football title ‘Match of the Day’

    BBC Magazines to launch weekly football title ‘Match of the Day’

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced that BBC Magazines is to launch a new weekly football magazine Match of the Day aimed at 8-14-year olds. On sale every Tuesday, it will launch next month.

    Inspired by the programme, Match of the Day aims to position itself as the must-read title for all young football fans. It will be packed with star interviews, match results and tables from the weekend, the hottest football gossip, posters, quizzes and competitions.

    The magazine also includes an eight-page pull-out skills guide, encouraging children to get active and to increase their chances of becoming a star of the future. The first issue features an interview with Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Supporting the magazine, motdmag.com will feature bespoke football games and up-to-the-minute statistics, which users can personalise to their own team.

    The magazine’s publisher Duncan Gray says, “Match of the Day is one of the biggest brands in sport and we’re hoping to build on this success with Match of the Day magazine.

    “Research has shown there is significant demand for a title aimed at 8-14-year olds focused not only on the star teams and players, but also encouraging young football fans to increase their own knowledge and improve their own game.”

    The title has a strong and experienced editorial team behind it.

    The magazine’s editor Ian Foster says, “I’m very excited about the launch of Match of the Day magazine and am confident that the mix of star interviews, results, gossip and skills advice will prove hugely popular with football-mad youngsters.”

    A TV ad campaign in the UK will support the launch.

  • BBC Magazines’ ‘Top Gear,’ ‘Top of the Pops’ boost circulation

    BBC Magazines’ ‘Top Gear,’ ‘Top of the Pops’ boost circulation

    MUMBAI: BBC Magazines’ Top Gear and Top of the Pops are two of the publisher’s success stories as part of a strong performance across its portfolio, according to the latest ABC circulation figures released in the UK.

    Total circulation for BBC Magazines is up 5.9 per cent year on year. Top Gear broke through the 200,000 circulation barrier for the first time, at 200,286, an increase of 5.4 per cent year on year. Top of the Pops magazine shows the biggest growth in the teen market, with 124,852, an increase of 18.9 per cent. Preschool titles are up 8.3 per cent at 605,290, with In the Night Garden reaching over 100,000 copies. The magazine had launched in September 2007.

    BBC History also shows growth at 58,395, up 8.6 per cent, its highest ever ABC. Radio Times though is slightly down at 2.6 per cent. As far as the BBC Food titles are concerned, Olive is up 25 per cent at 90,236 and Good Food is at 365,978 up 4.4 per cent. 

    BBC Magazines MD Peter Phippen says, “I am delighted with yet another great set of results for BBC Magazines. I believe this shows that when you offer consumers informative, quality titles with clearly defined propositions, demand for magazines in this multi-media age is stronger than ever.”

    Top Gear magazine associate publisher Simon Carrington says, “Top Gear magazine has delivered its highest ever ABC cracking the 200k copies mark – an exceptional total representing the magazine’s tenth consecutive period of growth.

    “Top Gear’s latest ABC of 200,286 has been achieved by a series of great covers, a successful marketing programme and a huge public demand for the brand. This result means that we now outsell our nearest motoring rival What Car? by 92,474 copies.

    “Subscription sales, a great benchmark for success, have also performed fantastically for Top Gear. The magazine now has over 50,000 loyal UK readers subscribing on a monthly basis. It’s also great to see a good performance from the general motoring market which continues to show stability, proving that there remains a strong consumer appetite for motoring titles.”

  • BBC launches a digital version of ‘Top Of The Pops’ magazine

    BBC launches a digital version of ‘Top Of The Pops’ magazine

    MUMBAI: UK publisher BBC Magazines has launched an online edition of its Top Of The Pops magazine in conjunction with Zinio Systems.

    The company says that Top of the Pops is the UK’s number one teen entertainment title selling almost 120,000 copies every four weeks (ABC Jan-Jun 06) and this digital edition marks another significant step in the title’s digital strategy designed to capture teen interest in new media and technology.

    The digital edition will offer an enhanced and more interactive reading experience in tandem with the newsstand version offering extras such as Rich Media exclusives of the Pussycat Dolls and Neyo music videos. As well as offering increased reach, advertisers will be afforded the unique opportunity of enhancing their print creative like never before with live linking to web addresses and auto-play audio/visual content.

    Following the first complimentary edition, readers can sign up for an annual subscription to the digital edition for just £9.99. Subscribers to the digital version will have the unique opportunity of receiving the online version of the magazine five days before it hits the newsstands. In a market where the immediacy of gossip is so crucial, this will be seen as particularly attractive to the average teenager.

    BBC Magazines Teen Group associate publisher Duncan Gray says: “We’re really excited to be the first teen title to enter this side of the digital marketplace. We see this digital edition as a complimentary purchase that offers up a whole new way for readers to enjoy the magazine by incorporating a range of interactive features.

    “Our readers love the celebrity interviews, fashion, gossip, cringes and real life stories and the digital edition enables us to deliver this directly to their inbox and bring elements of them to life with enhanced interactive content such as embedded music videos and film and TV trailers.”

    Readers can also receive details on downloading the digital edition through the magazine’s website and it will also be promoted through its recently launched email newsletter which has already attracted over 3000 members. Zinio will be promoting the magazine on www.zinio.com and through it’s vast digital database aiming at international sales.

  • BBC Magazines to sell Origin Publishing

    BBC Magazines to sell Origin Publishing

    MUMBAI: BBC Magazines in the UK has announced that it has sold Origin Publishing and all of the non-BBC related titles published by it to a management buy-out team led by its current MD, Andy Marshall.

    BBC Magazines will retain the BBC-branded titles previously produced by Origin in a new subsidiary to be called Bristol Magazines which will be chaired by BBC Magazines MD Peter Phippen.

    BBC Magazines conducted a tender process involving a number of companies and accepted Origin’s MBO proposal as the highest bid put forward. BBC Magazines will retain a minority stake in Origin Publishing for a period of time in a staged exit and Origin will continue to provide management services to certain BBC titles during this period. Andy Marshall will also act as Bristol Magazines MD.

    Phippen says, “It is sad to have to sell Origin, and to be saying farewell to some very talented people but this is in line with the new remit for BBC Magazines. Origin is an excellent company and I’m sure the MBO team will ensure the business continues to prosper. For our part, we remain committed to Bristol as a publishing centre. Indeed, we are moving Homes & Antiques there and have recently announced our next launch, BBC Mind Games. I’m very excited about our new venture.”

    Marshall says, “I am delighted that we have the chance to take Origin forward as part of an MBO. We have a fantastic team here with great vision and passion and I know that the business will continue to grow and develop under their leadership. I am also delighted to have been asked to manage the development of the BBC’s new venture here in Bristol.”

    BBC Worldwide’s advisers in managing the sale process and in evaluating the bids were Ernst & Young. The non-BBC titles being sold include Blonde Hair, Hair Ideas, Your Hair, Beautiful Cards, Koi and 220 Triathlon.

  • BBC Magazines to launch girls’ lifestyle magazine ‘Amy’

    BBC Magazines to launch girls’ lifestyle magazine ‘Amy’

    MUMBAI: BBC Magazines in the UK will add to its pre-teen portfolio of titles when it launches Amy, a lifestyle magazine for 5-8 year old girls next month.

    With lots to read and do, Amy will feature many popular CBBC brands including Tracey Beaker, Blue Peter, Smart and Really Wild Show and will be designed to provide interactive activities and entertainment for young girls.

    With CBBC content at it core, Amy will also feature a range of other topics, including film, arts and crafts, stories, puzzles, dancing and quizzes. The 32-page magazine will be published every three weeks, with each issue carrying a high quality cover mounted gift as well as featuring competitions with prizes.

    BBC further says that a strong colour palette with familiar icons and fonts will give the magazine a distinct identity. Extensive research with parents and children in the pre-teen age group showed there was a strong opportunity to develop a magazine for 5-8 year olds, with a different positioning to existing magazines in the market. Amy has been designed to combine the world of young childhood play, whilst acknowledging the needs of maturing pre-teens.

    BBC Magazines youth and children MD Toni Round says: “With only one other title in the market for this age group, our research showed there was a real need for a new magazine for this transitional group. During this period, 5-8 year old girls are discovering more about the world around them and learning new skills, particularly reading.

    “Amy will help them develop these skills, with content that is designed specifically for them. We know that they have grown out of the pre-school titles in the market but are still very much little girls who are not yet ready for older magazines like Girl Talk. Amy will give them ‘their own’ magazine that reflects their world.

    “During research, a magazine concept fulfilling these needs received an incredibly positive response and was heavily endorsed by mums, as well as girls. As with all our Youth and Children’s magazines, we will ensure that readers get the most out of Amy in terms of fun, learning, and stimulating activities to sustain their interest and also satisfy mum’s needs.”