BBC Worldwide To Set Sail With Blue Peter Magazine

BBC Worldwide is to launch a new title, Blue Peter magazine on 27 June. The 32 page magazine, the first to be based on the flagship children’s programme, which draws an average of around £1.5 viewers per episode, will be aimed at five to eight year old boys and girls and will cost £1.25.

The first edition, with an initial print run of 150,000, will be published every four weeks and will carry up to four pages of advertising in each issue.

The magazine will feature a comic strip of the presenters, together with photo features and extra information linked to items on the show. It will also contain the usual Blue Peter ingredients such as competitions, recipes, posters, puzzles and a readers’ page featuring Blue Peter badge holders.

Publisher Toni Round said: “Blue Peter has never had a regular magazine, I’m delighted that we’re putting that right, with a title that will extend the enjoyment of the show and, like its TV counterpart, be entertaining, informative and most importantly fun.”

The commercial arm of the BBC, which is expected to announce its annual profits next month, showed a total revenue for 1999-2000 of £514m with £84m in cashflow returned to the BBC.

Among other BBC Worldwide children’s titles are Girl Talk, which has an average circulation of 102,041 per issue and boys magazine FBX, which has an average circulation per issue of 56,920.

BBC Worldwide: 0208 433 2000 www.beeb.com

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