Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines delivers strong circulations for Top Gear, olive and History magazines and a solid debut performance for Lonely Planet magazine, in the latest ABC results announced today, Thursday 13th August 2009.

Key results from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines include:

• Top Gear magazine delivers another strong result, remaining stable at 200,761;
• olive magazine is up 1.08% year on year, with an ABC of 86,117; Good Food, though down slightly year on year, is now the 8th most popular paid-for monthly magazine in the country, selling 323,171 copies a month.
• Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History magazine shows a strong increase with an ABC of 63,888, up 9.15% year on year;
• Lonely Planet magazine (launched in December 2008) achieves an audited circulation of 40,702 in its first six months, with 92% of copies actively purchased. The monthly title now has over 16,067 subscribers – the fastest growing subs of any new Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazine;
• Radio Times is down slightly (-4.25% year on year), but still ahead of the listings market (which is down 5.82% overall). Radio Times has grown its overall market share to 21.36%, with share of the premium market growing to a record 56.39%;
• Subscriptions overall are up 15.82% year on year, at 762,750.

Peter Phippen, MD Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines, said: "All publishers have faced a very tough trading environment in the first half of this year, and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines is no exception. However I am very pleased with the performance of several of our quality titles which have bucked the trend with strong results - including a solid debut from Lonely Planet magazine - demonstrating that readers recognise the quality, distinctiveness and value of our brands."

Publisher statements for Jan-Jun09 ABCs

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOOD GROUP

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Good Food	323,171	340,057	-4.97%
olive	89,117	85,196	+1.08%
Easy Cook	73,050	81,484*	-10.35%

Alfie Lewis, Publishing Director, Food: "We are pleased with the performance of our award winning food portfolio in very tough market conditions, with an overall ABC figure of 482,338. We have understood and responded to the financial concerns of our readers, with 'eat well, spend less' a common theme across all of our titles this year.

"Good Food, is now the 8th most popular paid-for monthly magazine in the country, selling 323,171 copies a month. Despite a small dip year on year, it is clear that consumers are responding to our proposition and having reduced our marketing spend in the period, this is a solid performance for the title. In its 20th anniversary year, subscriptions to the magazine are at an all time high, attendance to our live events are up on last year, and at 1.2m unique users a month, bbcgoodfood.com is more popular than ever. Equally exciting for the brand are the recently announced deals to license the brand to UKTV for the Good Food channel; and the Masterchef print, online, merchandising and live events partnership with Shine.

"It is a fantastic achievement for olive to have seen growth year on year. olive has the highest AB profile of any title in its sector (NRS Jan-Dec08), but feedback from reader panels consistently highlighted an interest in value for money restaurants, recipes and travel ideas. Our editorial response to this research was the foundation of our pleasing performance for the period.

"At first glance Easy Cook's circulation has declined, but the figure masks a year on year increase in copies sold Jan-Jun, with an impressive uplift of 19.53% as the title increased its yearly frequency from six to seven issues*. The increase was in response to growing demand for the magazine which has been one of the fastest growing across all sectors in recent years."

RADIO TIMES - UK's third biggest selling magazine

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Radio Times	966,098	1,009,028	-4.25%

Kathy Day, Publishing Director, Radio Times: "Radio Times has grown its overall market share to 21.36%, with share of the premium market growing to a record 56.39%. RT now outsells the rest of the premium titles put together by almost 220k copies.

"I'm delighted that Radio Times retains its market-leading position as the UK's biggest-selling weekly magazine by subscription, increasing subs by 46.60% year on year to 168,014.

"This period also sees Radio Times extend its digital offering beyond its award winning website radiotimes.com, as the first TV listings magazine to launch an iPhone application. The app hit number one in the entertainment chart and delivers Radio Times to a whole new audience on the move."

TOP GEAR

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Top Gear	200,761	200,471	+0.14%

Simon Carrington, Associate Publisher, Top Gear Magazine: "We are delighted to have maintained our ABC at over 200,000, and recorded our 13th period of consecutive growth. In spite of the tough trading conditions we have maintained our levels of investment throughout this period, which has led to some brave covers, strong covermounts and our innovative new compact edition. This confident strategy has been born out in the fact that we have also increased our market share by 3.59 percentage points to more than 37% of the motoring marketplace. With a new editor stepping into the role in September, the future looks as bright as ever for Top Gear."

GARDENERS' WORLD

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABD Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Gardeners' World	266,179	303,622	-12.33%

Dominic Murray, Publisher, Gardeners' World: "The magazine marketplace remains a tough environment and the performance of Gardeners' World reflects the difficult trading conditions at newsstand as a whole. However despite the challenges we see a strong outlook for the brand and are have confidence in this market-leading, practical magazine which, at 266,179, is the 14th most widely bought monthly magazine in the country this period. We continue to tap into trends such as grow-your-own and we’re investing in striking and innovative new content. Our inaugural Gardeners' World awards generated 10,000 reader votes, creating unprecedented brand awareness. We have also achieved continued success in subscriptions with more readers than ever demonstrating loyalty to the magazine, willing to develop a relationship with the brand on a long term basis."

LONELY PLANET MAGAZINE

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Lonely Planet magazine	40,702	n/a	n/a

Dominic Murray, Publisher, Lonely Planet Magazine:
"We are very proud to deliver an impressive debut ABC result of 40,702 for Lonely Planet Magazine. Having launched in November 2008 with a unique, distinctive proposition, the title has already established a loyal readership. We have brought a brand new audience to this category, growing the paid-for consumer travel magazine market considerably (up 36% yoy). We are currently second in the market at UK newsstand, as well as on subscription. The title already has over 16,000 subscribers, making it the fastest-growing subscriptions launch of any Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ magazine."

YOUTH & CHILDREN'S
(Please note – no Jan-Jun figure was submitted for Match of the Day magazine, which will now report annually)

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
In the Night Garden	80,334	103,664	-22.49%
Bob the Builder	48,224	54,557	-11.61%
CBeebies Weekly	48,509	61,587	-21.24%
Doctor Who Adventures (weekly)	56,986	93,741	-39.21%
Top of the Pops	119,739	130,174	-8.02%

Jaynie Bye, Joint MD, Children's magazines: "It's a tough climate for the Children's market overall but our large portfolio of popular magazines is weathering the storm.

"Top of the Pops magazine's recent successes are no flash in the pan. The title continues to perform well with a consistently strong editorial mix that makes it stand out from other titles in this market.

"Doctor Who Adventures magazine continues to be a clear favourite with children. Even with the programme off-air, it is still the number one-selling children's magazine in value terms. And we're looking forward to the return of Doctor Who with three television specials later this year and the new series, with a new doctor, in April 2010.

"Some of our pre-school titles have seen a decline in their ABC, mainly due to the difficult market conditions. However, following extensive research with our consumers we know that parents value our brands hugely and are happy to buy them if they continue to represent good value for money.

"We're confident that we're well-placed to come out of this difficult period with a portfolio of great quality children's magazines: over the past few months we have re-launched nearly all titles and are already seeing sales increase as a result, such as with Bob the Builder which is up 18.66% period on period."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ BRISTOL MAGAZINES

Title	ABC Jan-Jun 2009	ABC Jan-Jun 2008	Change YOY
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History	63,888	58,530	+9.15%
Countryfile	27,729	n/a	n/a
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife	44,101	45,033	-2.07%
Focus	68,144	70,122	-2.82%
Gardens Illustrated	31,312	30,753	+1.82%
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔs & Antiques	54,083	85,121	-36.46%

Gardens Illustrated – Jemima Ransome, Publisher: "Gardens Illustrated goes from strength to strength as this, its highest ABC since 2004, proves. Its beautiful photography, outstanding writing and stunning design continue to make it required reading for passionate gardeners the world over."

Countryfile Magazine – Jemima Ransome, Publisher: "This is a pleasing debut ABC for Countryfile Magazine and a solid platform for future growth. The brand has developed a hugely loyal following with subscribers accounting for more than 66% of its circulation."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife Magazine – Jemima Ransome, Publisher: "Whilst Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife Magazine has suffered marginally at the hands of the economy this period, it continues to feed our readers' enthusiasm for the natural world and – as our overflowing post-bag demonstrates – the magazine is regarded by many as their personal wildlife expert. The year ahead will see Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife Magazine capitalising on its undoubted reputation and heritage with a string of initiatives to build the brand with a wider audience."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History Magazine – Andy Healy, Publisher: "Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History Magazine has posted its highest ever ABC, up 9.15% year on year and its seventh consecutive increase. This is a superb result and a real testament to the title's unfaltering ability to make history accessible and attractive. It also reflects our success in drawing in audiences with striking front covers that focus on British history and on subjects familiar to our audience. Extending the brand's presence through regular podcasts has also been a substantial aid in drawing in readers and bringing this popular topic to life."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔs & Antiques – Andy Healy, Publisher: "Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔs & Antiques has removed the free copies that were distributed to targeted hotels and spas and is now 100% actively purchased. Despite difficult conditions in the wider homes market, I'm delighted to see our subscriptions base remains firm, indicating a great loyalty to the brand."

Focus – Andrew Davies, Publisher: "Focus has had a steady period within a difficult marketplace and market category. This popular multi-media brand has benefitted from a recent redesign both in print and online. I am especially delighted that subscription levels have reached record numbers (over 24,000), demonstrating that the extremely loyal and dedicated Focus readership is growing, with fans keen not to miss a single issue. With a wealth of new features and initiatives planned over the next twelve months, the future is bright for Focus."

NOTES TO EDITORS
About Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines publishes over 40 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ consumer titles in the UK, including Top Gear, Good Food, Gardeners' World and Radio Times as well as specialist titles such as Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife and Focus. It is also the publisher of many children's titles including In the Night Garden and Doctor Who Adventures. Internationally, there are now 44 licensed editions of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines' titles across 55 territories.

Sarah Williams-Robbins