Friday, October 31, 2008
Ross, Brand, Clarkson and Top Gear: A hypothetical question
No doubt about what the big media story is (Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand and Lesley Douglas, should you need reminding) but here's an interesting hypothetical link to the magazine world and the BBC's place within it.
Ross and Brand are not connected with any particular magazine title but what if the shit-storm had enveloped that other "bad boy" Jeremy Clarkson? (I hasten to add here that Clarkson is only introduced here as an exemplar of a media personality who has had bad things written about him: 1, 2, 3 ... ah what the heck.) JC is indelibly associated with Top Gear, and Top Gear has now become a brand that works in a unified manner across the TV show, the website and the print magazine.
But, BBC Worldwide, which publishes TG, is a separate organisation from the public service arm of the BBC and, what is more, it pays a turnover-based fee to the public service BBC for the right to use the TG name on its magazine.
Suppose Clarkson had been suspended from TG on the telly – would he also be suspended from the magazine? Would public BBC have to refund part of the royalty fee?
And, just as a parting thought, offered purely as a personal opinion, isn't the Daily Mail a boiling bucket of hypocritical pus?
Ross and Brand are not connected with any particular magazine title but what if the shit-storm had enveloped that other "bad boy" Jeremy Clarkson? (I hasten to add here that Clarkson is only introduced here as an exemplar of a media personality who has had bad things written about him: 1, 2, 3 ... ah what the heck.) JC is indelibly associated with Top Gear, and Top Gear has now become a brand that works in a unified manner across the TV show, the website and the print magazine.
But, BBC Worldwide, which publishes TG, is a separate organisation from the public service arm of the BBC and, what is more, it pays a turnover-based fee to the public service BBC for the right to use the TG name on its magazine.
Suppose Clarkson had been suspended from TG on the telly – would he also be suspended from the magazine? Would public BBC have to refund part of the royalty fee?
And, just as a parting thought, offered purely as a personal opinion, isn't the Daily Mail a boiling bucket of hypocritical pus?
Labels: BBC, BBC magazines, BBC Worldwide, Jeremy Clarkson, Jonathan Ross, Lesley Douglas, magazines, Russell Brand, Top Gear
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Cardiff Journalism School wins another major magazine award
A magazine created and produced on Cardiff Journalism School's postgraduate magazine course has won the industry's major award for student magazines.
Tracks ("The ONLY alternative attainable travel magazine") was judged by a panel of the great and good to be the best in a strong field of contenders for the Periodical Training Council's Magazine Academy competition. The judges felt that Tracks had a very clear idea of its readers, fostered a very clubby feel through great editorial content and had very high production and design values.
Like all magazines produced on Cardiff's postgraduate magazine course, Tracks exists in print and digital forms – you can see the online version here.
Cardiff's other course magazine, IndieNational, also made the final shortlist – a significant success in itself.
This victory adds to the total of Cardiff Journalism School's list of successes over the years in this and other national competitions.
Tracks ("The ONLY alternative attainable travel magazine") was judged by a panel of the great and good to be the best in a strong field of contenders for the Periodical Training Council's Magazine Academy competition. The judges felt that Tracks had a very clear idea of its readers, fostered a very clubby feel through great editorial content and had very high production and design values.
Like all magazines produced on Cardiff's postgraduate magazine course, Tracks exists in print and digital forms – you can see the online version here.
Cardiff's other course magazine, IndieNational, also made the final shortlist – a significant success in itself.
This victory adds to the total of Cardiff Journalism School's list of successes over the years in this and other national competitions.
Labels: Cardiff Journalism School, magazines, print magazines, training
