End of the World

The BBC have axed World Agenda magazine (and website) according to this report in the Grauniad.

Pretty good timing really, as it’s not like there’s anything important happening in the world at the moment.

Just another average day in the gloom factory

Euromoney reveals £41.8m loss
Euromoney Institutional Investor said trading would become worse before it gets better

BBC Magazines set to cut 30 staff
Publisher is looking to reduce its headcount by about 30 staff in a bid to cut costs and restructure its operations.

BBC Good Homes closes doors

As suggested in the recent post on the ‘shelter’ category, BBC Worldwide is to close Good Homes magazine after 11 years.

The title will close next month, making the July 2009 edition the last issue.

With interiors and property still suffering, it’s likely that this won’t be the last closure we’ll see this year.

What’s the story? Closures.

BBC Magazines is to axe three of its children’s titles due to falling circulations, so it’s good night and sweet dreams to  Balamory, Amy and Tweenies magazines.

Are you sure that’s wise Peter?

There must be something in the air, because on top of the previous post comes this email from ‘notlongleft’:

The BBC are going to launch a WEEKLY sports magazine and Jamie Oliver to launch a monthly magazine.

Sport’s great for attracting readers – everyone wants to read about it, which is why newspapers all have big sports sections. Unfortunately no one ever wants to advertise in sports pages, so that may present just one or two small problems for the BBC as it has for everyone else who has ever tried to launch a general UK sport title (with the exception to date of the giveaway Sport weekly). Still, buoyed by the success of Lonely Planet they’ll be able to afford to keep the thing afloat for ages.

Planetary misalignment

Ping! An email arrives with news about the new BBC/Lonely Planet magazine we discussed last month:

Frazer – I probably shouldn’t be telling you this (walls have ears and all) but BBC Worldwide’s Lonely Planet magazine launches next month and there are some very long faces already, not least among those who greenlit (greenlighted) the project. And as for the sales figures of Knowledge …

Update: It’s on its way! I saw this wee advert today, so now we know it will have a £3.50 cover price and will publish every month. Brave. Very brave.

Are you sure that’s wise sir?

BBC to launch Lonely Planet magazine

Let’s hope that it does a wee bit better than the pevious BBC Holiday magazines, but the omens aren’t good: