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Heightened competition is the mark of the current TV listings

magazine sector. H Bauer’s TV Choice, which posts its first ABC figures

this year, made the biggest impact with a circulation of 784,904. It

beat its more established sister title, TV Quick, which dropped more

than 20 per cent to 578,796.

However, Simon Young, the group sales director of Bauer’s distributor,

The Publishing Consultancy, said there’s room for both brands. He added

that there is no plan in Bauer to axe TV Quick or merge it with another

title.

’We knew TV Quick would be hit - work has to be done to ensure it is not

damaged further,’ a Bauer source said.

Caroline Ward, the managing director of IPC.tx, was bullish about the

future of the company’s flagship What’s on TV magazine. It held on to

its top spot with a circulation of 1,707,815, despite slipping 5.8 per

cent on last year.

’There’s no comparison between What’s on TV and Bauer’s TV Choice -

we’re not worried,’ she said. ’It has done well but there is still a one

million copy gulf between the two titles.’

The Radio Times publisher, Ashley Munday, said established brands must

reinvent themselves to adjust to more demanding consumers, even though

the title’s 1,250,134 figure puts it in second place. A number of

digital TV initiatives are also being negotiated, to put the brand on

screens as well as strengthening its internet activity.

VERDICT: Upheaval will continue as newer brands move up the chart to

challenge more mature players. Brand extensions and putting paper titles

on the internet and TV are likely to contribute to development and

promotional spend.

Title                    Publisher       Total ABC   Period on   Year on

                                                      period %      year

What’s on TV             IPC             1,707,815        -1.9      -5.8

Radio Times              BBC             1,250,134        -6.5     -10.1

TV Choice                H Bauer           784,904         n/a       n/a

TV Times                 IPC               705,347       -10.8     -14.6

TV Quick                 H Bauer           578,796        -9.4     -20.3

Inside Soap              Attic Futura      255,965        -3.0       1.6

TV & Satellite Week      IPC               211,505        17.2       6.5

Soaplife                 IPC               124,123         n/a       n/a

All about Soap           Attic Futura      121,156        -6.9       n/a

Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations (January-June 2000).