Origin Titles Next On List For BBC Magazine Sale
The recent restructuring of the BBC’s magazine operations has already seen women’s glossy Eve put up for sale, but the next titles to face the auctioneers gavel are likely to come from the Origin Publishing stable, a BBC spokesman has confirmed.
Director general Mark Thompson’s plans for BBC magazines, set out last week, stated that those without direct links to BBC programmes or genres would be dropped from its portfolio, placing many of those published by the recently acquired Origin directly in the firing line.
A spokesman for BBC magazines told NewsLine: “The rest of our portfolio based in London is staying as it is, because in every other genre than women’s lifestyle we fit the new remit. Reports that Olive is to be sold are completely incorrect, as Olive is a food magazine which is a huge genre for the BBC, so that’s not going anywhere.”
He added: “The only other question mark going forward is the implications for Origin, which is the other publishing house that we own 100% in Bristol. We transferred some of our specialist interest titles there, such as history and wildlife, which was a really good move for us and they are doing a great job. But clearly they have magazines in their portfolio that don’t fit with the agreed new remit”
Amongst the titles most likely to be auctioned off are Origin’s craft titles, including Cross Stitch Crazy and Card Making and Papercraft. However, the publishing spokesman was at pains to explain that not all of Origin’s portfolio will face the axe.
“Origin have a magazine called Focus,” the spokesman explained, “which is one of the best science magazines around, and that is a big genre for the BBC so that is likely to stay, but we are going to have to consider the implications of the recommendations that the BBC has made and divest our interest in the magazines which don’t fit the new remit, but we will take great care to find the right publishing partner and will sell them at a time which is commercially right.”
Under the new recommendations BBC Magazines have also see an end to promotions via BBC TV and Radio, a move that is sure to please commercial competitors and advertisers who have long seen the Corporation’s cross-promotion as a thorn in their collective sides (see IPA Report Deplores Aggressive And Commercial BBC).
Amongst the publishers thought to be interested in bidding for Eve magazine are IPC Southbank, which currently lacks a glossy title targeting older women from its portfolio. Emap are also expected to show an interest, with Eve able to fill the shoes of Red and Elle magazines, absent since their sale to Hachette Filipacchi in 2002 (see Emap Loses Fight For Red).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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