Magazine Publishers Analysis

Bauer Media Group

Bauer Media Group is a European-based multi-platform media company founded in 1875 and based in Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the most significant media companies as it manages a portfolio of over 600 magazines, as well as over 400 digital products and 50 radio and television stations globally. Some of the most popular brands acquired and owned by Bauer, as well as those acquired from EMAP in 2007, include Heat, Grazia, Kiss and Magic.

In the UK, Bauer Media is the sister company of H Bauer UK. Bauer’s activity in the UK initiated when they launched Bella in 1987, and they continued to expand with the eventual purchase of EMAP and their titles in 2007, as well as EMAP Radio in 2008 which has been rebranded as Bauer Radio.

Bauer’s music publications include Q, which focuses on indie and alternative and once had their own radio and television stations, and Kerrang!, which focuses on rock music and currently has a radio station and a text request-based television station that plays music videos requested by viewers.

Future PLC

Future PLC is a media company founded in 1985 by entrepreneur Chris Anderson, well known for distributing the now-ceased Official Nintendo Magazine and maintaining the TechRadar and MusicRadar brands. Future currently focuses on digital publication where possible, and publishes over 30 magazines relating to video games, technology, films and photography.

The MusicRadar brand is currently owned by Future and provides information, news and reviews for musicians, as well as content relating to the incorporated music production titles including Guitarist and Computer Music.

Guitarist is another brand relating to music, and is a monthly-published music production magazine first published in 1984. It is focused on the use of the guitar and the broad range of genres from blues and folk to alternative and country; its total circulation from 2013, used here as an average, is 25,047. Reviews, interviews and news articles are also covered in the specified genres.

BBC Magazines

http://www.bbcworldwide.com/uk--anz/ukpublishing.aspx

BBC Worldwide have a publishing business, currently Immediate Media Company, that extends their programmes to audiences around the world by publishing various magazines in their name. The BBC state that they “strive to maintain the highest editorial and commercial quality and standards” of all of their magazines, whether wholly owned or licensed.

The majority of their magazines are published in the UK and range from Countryfile and Wildlife through to Focus and Good Food, not forgetting Top Gear and Doctor Who for the fans and supporters of the programmes themselves. For publications outside of the UK, the Top Gear magazines are very popular in most places as the programme reached critical acclaim, while Good Food and Science World are some of the other magazines distributed in some of the listed countries.

Focusing on the music relation, the BBC Music magazine was first issued in June 1992 and is published monthly, and its North American equivalent was first issued in March 1993. It sees 13 issues per annum and as of this writing has a total circulation of 37,530. It focuses on classical music, alike the broadcast output of BBC Radio 3, but it also provides sections on jazz and world music; each edition includes an audio CD with recordings of full-length works in these genres.