Editorial contents
Kings and Queens of the wild frontier
Putting this milestone 30th anniversary issue of Media Week together has been something of a career highlight for me. It’s been strangely cathartic too: some of you may remember that we missed out on an official "goodbye issue" when – a testament, no doubt, to the opinionated, passionate team at the time.
Since then, the , while an alignment with 北京赛车pk10 (such a move would have been unimaginable back in 1985) has ensured that it remains the leader for the sector’s news and biggest interviews.
To have tracked, and provided a platform for, such a dynamic industry for an entire generation is no mean feat. The launch editor, . Both trends remain highly pertinent and continue to define our remit today.
The year 1985 was significant not only for Media Week’s birth but also for the transformation of a little-known group called Wire and Plastic Products, led by one Sir Martin Stuart Sorrell. Now with a market capitalisation of £21 billion and the biggest marcoms group of them all, it’s notable that almost half (£5 billion) of WPP’s £11.5 billion revenues last year were attributed to its media operations. True to form, .
Among those on the frontline of the evolving landscape have been the media trade bodies. In this issue, we ask the biggest ones to explain how they have responded to the challenges, and then have them. The marks are sure to divide opinion but, whether they hit the target or were wide of the mark, the debate must be welcomed and is what Media Week is all about.
It is not only the media industry’s remit that has changed, but its make-up too. The . Half of the UK’s top ten agencies are now led by women and, while more needs to be done in the most senior roles at media owners, the direction of travel is set. .
There’s plenty more in this issue worth making time for (see above), and I really hope you do. On a personal note, I’d like to thank everyone listed below, with special mention to the production editor, Sami Shah, and art editor, Tania Shishkin, for helping me bring this much-expanded magazine to life: in style and on time. I want to thank Maisie McCabe too – the last of the team to have started with me seven years ago and a truly tenacious hack.
It has been an absolute privilege to have played a small part in Media Week’s story. . Thank you for all your support. Here’s to the next 30 years of forging new frontiers together.
Arif Durrani is editor of Media Week and head of media for 北京赛车pk10