1843 The Economist
Founded by the businessman, James Wilson, as a one-sheet newspaper in
support of the repeal of the Corn Laws, its mission statement was and
remains ’to support the cause of free trade’. Wilson became an MP but
continued editing the title until 1857, three years before his
death.
Subsequent editors include the political thinker (and Wilson’s
son-in-law), Walter Bagehot, from 1861 to 1877, and Alastair Burnett
(before he became a newscaster or knight) between 1965 and 1974. The
Pearson group bought a half share in the magazine in 1934. The Economist
sells on newsstands and by subscription in 180 countries, with 82 per
cent of sales international.
Weekly, circulation 680,000*, London-based, owners: Pearson/the
Economist
1887 International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune started life as the Paris Herald, a
European edition of the New York Herald. It introduced linotype,
half-tone engravings and became the first newspaper distributed by plane
when morning editions were flown to London in 1928. Following a merger
with the New York Tribune, the newly formed Herald Tribune was bought by
the US Ambassador to Britain, John Hay Whitney, in 1959. The New York
paper closed in 1966 but a merger with the Washington Post and the New
York Times produced the International Herald Tribune in 1967. The Post
and the Times purchased Whitney’s interest in 1991. Today the paper has
15 printing sites worldwide and appears in 180 countries. Sixty three
per cent of readers live in Europe, 19 per cent in Asia and 14 per cent
in America.
Daily, circulation 210,141, Paris-based, owners: the Washington Post and
the New York Times Inc
1887 The Wall Street Journal
The WSJ began life in 1882 as a handwritten flimsy, the ’Customers
Afternoon Newsletter’, produced by three young reporters - Charles Dow,
Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser - for subscribers on Wall Street.
Clarence Barron, the regional correspondent, bought the company in 1902
prompting a circulation boom and introducing a telegraphic business news
service. Further expansion followed Bernard Kilgore’s appointment as
managing editor of the WSJ and chief executive of Dow Jones in the 40s.
The first international edition, the Wall Street Journal Asia
(circulation 59,309) appeared in 1976 and the Wall Street Journal Europe
(circulation 68,595) followed in 1983.
Bannered and translated pages appear in national newspapers worldwide
giving the brand a circulation topping nine million.
Daily, circulation 1.8 million, New York-based, owner: Dow Jones &
Co
1888 Financial Times
For the first 50 years of its life, the FT competed with the Financial
News, a financial daily launched in 1884. The two rivals merged in 1945
under the chairmanship of the News’ Brendan Bracken, who stuck with the
FT’s title and pink newsprint. In 1957, Pearson bought the paper. The
first internationally available edition appeared in Frankfurt in 1979, a
New York print site opened in 1985 and distribution expanded
internationally throughout the 80s. The FT introduced regional variation
in its editorial coverage only last year with a US edition (circulation
57,000) and an international edition with a European bias (circulation
128,000). The FT is now printed in nine countries worldwide.
Daily, circulation 350,000, London-based, owner: Pearson
1923 Time magazine
Two former Yale classmates, Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, began
publishing Time in 1923 with a staff of four and plans for a national
magazine. World War II provided the platform for global expansion.
Between 1941 and 1946 Time launched editions for Latin America, Canada,
the Atlantic region and Asia. The South Pacific edition first appeared
in 1961. Domestic circulation tops 4.15 million and Time can boast that
ten copies of the magazine are sold somewhere in the world every second.
Time is now the flagship of the publishing arm of Time Warner, following
its merger with Warner Communications in 1989. A further merger with
Turner Broadcasting System in 1996 created one of the world’s biggest
media conglomerates.
Weekly, circulation 1.5 million, New York-based, owner: Time Warner
1929 BusinessWeek
Part of the McGraw-Hill publishing empire, the title went international
in 1981 off the back of the domestic success of the long-running
BusinessWeek magazine. There are three customised editions covering
Europe (circulation 80,672), Asia (circulation 64,470) and Latin America
(circulation 25,664).
Subscriptions make up 85 per cent of sales. Local language editions also
appear several times a year in China, Poland and Russia.
Weekly, circulation 170,000, New York-based, owner: McGraw-Hill
Companies
1930 Fortune
Aimed at wealthy readers, self-selected by the dollars 11-a-year
subscription fee, Fortune in the 1930s was the magazine for captains of
industry and quickly established a small but influential international
readership.
Launched by Henry Luce, the visionary founder of Time, it remains part
of the Time publishing stable. In the early 90s the magazine appeared to
stagnate but John Huey, appointed editor in 1995, modernised the content
and revitalised its interests. Of its English-language circulation, 20
per cent goes outside North America. In South America, Spanish and
Portuguese-language editions sell 1.5 million copies and Fortune China
has just been launched.
Bi-weekly, circulation 950,000, New York-based, owner: Time Warner
1933 Newsweek
Starting with a staff of 22 and a circulation of 50,000, Newsweek had
opened print sites in Canada, Tokyo and Paris by 1945 and in 1961 was
snapped up by the Washington Post. The first content-specific
international editions appeared in Latin America and the Atlantic region
in 1972. An Asian edition followed in 1978. Newsweek publishes Japanese,
Korean and Russian-language editions with a combined circulation of
345,000, while domestic sales in the US top 3.25 million. The magazine
has a 75 per cent subscriber base.
Weekly, circulation 691,030, New York-based, owner: the Washington
Post
1985 CNN International
The international sister network of the Turner Broadcasting System-owned
CNN achieved worldwide recognition for its Gulf War coverage. Turner
merged with Time Warner in 1996 and the appointment of Chris Cramer as
president of CNN International resulted in the regionalisation of
content and schedules to provide four broadcast zones:
Europe/Middle-East/Africa; Asia/Pacific; Latin America and the United
States. Live breaking news coverage runs alongside a strong business
news output and a range of feature programming.
Daily, European reach 1.46 million, New York-based, owner: Time
Warner
1989 CNBC
In 1989 the European and Asian divisions of CNBC merged with their Dow
Jones rivals, European Business News and Asian Business News. The
service is now available in 51 million homes in Europe via cable and
satellite.
CNBC divisions outside Europe and Asia remain wholly owned by NBC, the
various parts being tailored as a global brand covering 175 million
households and businesses.
Daily, European reach 239,000, New York-based, owners: NBC and Dow Jones
& Co
1990 The European
Launched by the late Robert Maxwell, the original three-section paper
encompassed news, business and culture. Following Maxwell’s death in
1992, the European was bought by David and Frederick Barclay, who
appointed Andrew Neil editor-in-chief in December 1996. It was
relaunched as an A3 business title in January this year. Readers are
mostly UK businessmen at home and abroad.
Weekly, circulation 111,000, London-based, owners: Barclay Brothers
1992 Bloomberg Magazine
When Michael Bloomberg was sacked from his job on Wall Street in 1981 he
used a dollars 10 million pay-off to launch Bloomberg, supplying
terminals and on-line information to financial traders. The magazine is
supplied free on a closed distribution basis to anyone with a Bloomberg
terminal (costing dollars 1,500 per month). The initial circulation of
25,000 climbed steadily as the parent business expanded. The magazine
includes tips on using Bloomberg terminals, financial and economic
articles and general interest features.
Monthly, circulation 130,000 (including US), New York-based, owner:
Bloomberg
1993 EuroNews
The station has lost pounds 22 million since its launch by SECEMIE, a
group of 18 European public service broadcasters. The French
Telecommunications group, Alcatel Alstholm, purchased a 49 per cent
stake in 1995 for pounds 10.7 million. With EuroNews continuing to lose
money, ITN snapped up Alcatel’s holding for pounds 5.1 million and took
operating control in November 1997, promising to break-even within two
years. EuroNews is available via cable, satellite and terrestrial
transmissions in 91 million homes. It will unveil a new look and
schedule in November.
Daily, European reach 1.03 million, Lyons-based, owners: ITN and
SECEMIE
1994 Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg’s television service, carrying a mix of text and pictures,
launched in the UK in 1995. Aimed at anyone with an interest in the
finance industry, the English-language service is transmitted via
satellite and cable through most of Europe plus South Africa, Russia and
the Middle East. The last two years have seen local start-ups in Italy,
France, Spain and Germany. The station is aiming to broaden its market
and last year changed its name from Bloomberg Business News to Bloomberg
News.
Daily, European reach 122,000, New York-based, owner: Bloomberg
1995 BBC World
BBC World Service Television was set up in 1991 supplying Asia and the
Middle East via satellite. It expanded rapidly into Japan, Africa and
Europe and three years ago split into BBC Prime - supplying
entertainment and educational programming - and BBC World, supplying
news and current affairs. It is available via cable and satellite in 187
countries and 55 million homes worldwide. BBC World is making inroads
into the American market and there are plans to launch a 24-hour channel
in the United States next year.
Daily, European reach 219,000, London-based, owner: BBC Worldwide
1998 Forbes Global Business & Finance
Launched in April to build on the success of the original Forbes
magazine, founded in 1917 by Bertie Forbes. Inspired by his former
employer, William Randolph Hearst, Forbes’ vision was to create the
quintessential ’capitalist tool’. His son, Malcolm, became the
quintessential tycoon financed by a domestic circulation which climbed
to 800,000. Forbes Global Business & Finance is a new player in
international publishing with 44,000 copies sold in Europe and Asia, 80
per cent by subscription.
Bi-weekly, circulation 50,000, New York-based, owner: Forbes Global
*Circulation figures, referring to English-language editions outside the
United States, supplied by publishers. Daily European reach quoted from
1998 EMS (European Media Survey published by InterView).
