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August 13, 2009

Mag ABCs: Jamie Oliver leads debut magazines

By Oliver Luft

The independently published Jamie Magazine was the biggest seller of all titles debuting audited circulation figures today.

Jamie Magazine, which has been set up by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for a reported £250,000, circulated an average of 75,369 copies in the first six months of the year, according to Audit Bureau of Circulation figures released today.

The magazine published three bi-monthly editions during the period, benefiting from a prominent newsstand presence after cutting an exclusivity deal with WH Smiths for these first editions.

However, it came 11 out of 12 in the hugely competitive Cookery & Kitchen sector lead by free title Asda Magazine with a circulation of 2,524,175.

Jamie Magazine was also behind paid-for titles BBC Good Food, which was down five per cent to 323,171, and a second BBC magazine, Olive, which had a circulation of 86,117, up 1.1 per cent.

Jamie Magazine did beat a third BBC cooking title, Easy Cook, which recorded a circulation fall of 10.4 per cent to record average sales of 73,050 in the first six months of the year.

The second highest debuting magazine was Ben 10, a spin off from the children’s TV show of the same name. Ben 10 recorded an average circulation of 70,012 over the seven editions it put out in the six months to the end of June.

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The magazine was listed third of ten magazines in the Primary Boys sector behind Titan Publishing’s The Simpsons Comic and Simpsons Comics Presents.

Ben 10 is one of a raft of titles, including World of Cars, Numberjacks and All About, which have been launched by Egmont Magazines over the past 12 months.

Rob McMenemy, managing director of Egmont UK, said: “We are extremely pleased to be announcing these results, which cement our strong position in this increasingly competitive marketplace.

“Egmont Magazines understands how to convert popular licences into best-selling magazines.”

BBC Worldwide’s Lonely Planet magazine recorded an average circulation of 40,702 over the six monthly editions it published in the first half of the year.

However, it was behind TNT magazine, which recorded a circulation of 46,402 during the period, Sunday Times Travel magazine which was up 24.5 per cent year on year to 67,461, Conde Nast Traveller, which was down 4.4 per cent to 81,514.

Lonely Planet caused controversy when hit newsstands at the end of last year coming under fire from Lyn Hughes, editor of rival travel monthly Wanderlust.

Hughes accused BBC Worldwide of creating unfair competition by targeting her advertisers and undercutting Wanderlust, which is not audited by the ABC.

Debuting magazines

BBC Countryfile Magazine 27,729

Ben 10 70,012

Blonde Hair 11,264

Jamie Magazine 75,369

Lonely Planet Magazine 40,702

Performance Car 15,605

Primary Times Dublin 42,171

Primary Times South 44,310

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