Now Gets New Online Editor

Now publishing director Andrew Sumner has announced the appointment of Beverley Watts as the new online editor of Now.

Watts has been assistant editor of Now since its launch in 1996, and will take overall responsibility for the editorial development of www.nowmagazine.co.uk – which re-launched last summer.

In this new role Watts will report directly to new Now editor Helen Johnston.

Now Online is the perfect complement to Now magazine, and since re-launch it has become the new home of celebrity gossip online.

Alongside up-to-the-minute showbiz gossip and breaking news, the site also contains star style tips, exclusive beauty secrets, celeb recipes and unique US scoops direct from Time sister title, People.

Watts started her IPC career at 18 as a trainee writer and sub on Woman’s Weekly, before moving into teen magazines.

At 22 she was named editor of Oh Boy! and two years later became group editor of all IPC’s teen and preteen magazines.

In 1981 Watts joined Mersey TV to develop Brookside; work on Grange Hill and head up marketing and promotions for the TV production company.

Following a range of roles in TV as both writer and publicist, Watts returned to IPC in 1995 as commissioning editor on new launch, Eva – joining the fledgling Now the following year.

Sumner said: “I am delighted to announce Beverley’s appointment to this senior position on the Now team.

“Since we re-launched www.nowmagazine.co.uk in August 2006, Bev has revitalised the UK’s premier celebrity news site, delivering celeb exclusive after celeb exclusive.

“Little wonder that unique users have increased ten-fold and page traffic twelve-fold. Bev and her team are brimming with ideas to drive Now Online to the next level and I can’t wait to see them do it.”

According to a statement from IPC, the Now website had 85,000 unique users in September 2006. The print copy, meanwhile, has followed a downward trend.

At the last ABCs, Now magazine had a total circulation figure of 540,132, down over 37,500 copies year on year (see ABC Results Jul-Dec 2006:Take A Break Leads Women’s Weekly Market).

IPC Media recently launched a new corporate identity, intended to reflect the company’s evolution and bring a visual unity to its branding across all parts of its business (see IPC Media Gets New Corporate Identity).

IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipcmedia.com