Hello Gang,
With just two issues under our belt and one in the works, I can only sit and wonder at the idea of the Radio Times magazine turning 100 today. How do you do that?
The first issue of what has become Immediate Media’s biggest earner hit the newsstands on Friday, September 28th, 1923. Founded by Lord Reith, the BBC’s first director-general, it was meant to help people get their head around what they were getting from the soon to be introduced 10-shilling licence fee.
The weekly started with listings for six radio stations, but now carries schedules for 86 TV channels and 63 radio stations. It also has a website, an app and a weekly podcast, and somewhere in there lies the secret of the ‘magazine’s’ longevity.
Standing still is not an option for most magazines, and that’s not just about digital stuff. If the Radio Times was still just doing radio listings, well, I wouldn’t be writing this.
A clear position is the only starting point for a magazine. Changing position to stay in step with what your readers want and need is the only way to keep going.
Speaking of clear positioning…
We’re obviously nowhere near our Centenary, but we’re very keen to to know what you would like to see us cover in The Grub Street Journal. What are the big magazine publishing questions you would like us to ask? Leave a comment, let us know.
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Steal this
This is music to our ears at The Grub Street Journal. The news that Time magazine is doubling down on opinion feels like a serious validation of the idea that magazines are best when they are about ideas. Of course there’s a place for factual reporting, God knows the world could use more facts. But the world also needs interpretation and if you can provide your readers with context and queues for action, you’re adding value.
Think about this
Using test content to research product development efforts is genius, especially in a publishing context. Too often people look at their audience segments or worse, their competition, and decide they need to go hot and heavy into this or that vertical. This post focuses how to use a ‘content- led’ approach to new product efforts. It turns the old ‘if you build it they will come’ saw on its head. Now, if they come, you know it’s worth building.
Shout about this
We’re way beyond talking about a Golden Age of print, but it’s really nice to see publishers rediscover paper and ink as a valuable part of their portfolios. The news that Elle Australia is moving back into print after a four-year hiatus is very welcome. The title will return to the newsstands in March and September next year, tying in with highpoints of the fashion calendar and underlining print’s shift from always-on to a special event.