West Australian Newspapers Holdings will launch an A4 glossy lifestyle magazine called Perth Vita next year.
West Australian Newspapers Holdings will launch an A4 glossy lifestyle magazine called Perth Vita next year.
West Australian Publishers, which was recently acquired by WAN, will produce the quarterly magazine, according to an information document about the proposed magazine obtained by WA Business News.
The magazine is expected to contain more than 100 pages of information with a distribution of 15,000 copies.
The document, sent to potential advertisers, includes a mock front page featuring the tag line “Western Australia’s Complete Lifestyle Magazine”.
“12,000 copies will be distributed free of charge through selected cafes, restaurants, hair and beauty salons, hotels and medical practices,” the document says.
“2,000 copies will be sold for an affordable $4.95 through leading newsagencies … 1,000 copies will be used internally.”
The magazine will target middle to high income earners of both genders aged between 25 and 50.
The first issue is scheduled for release in June 2005.
West Australian Publishers confirmed to WA Business News this week that Perth Vita would launch next year but management declined to comment further.
The news follows comments by WAN managing director Ian Law at last week’s WAN annual general meeting that the group was investing in a new $75 million printing press so as to enable more effective competition in the commercial printing market.
“For the first time [it] also give us the capability to produce gloss magazine products like The West Magazine,” Mr Law told the AGM
He said the new press would be operational in the first quarter of 2006 and would involve $7 million in redundancies as the Victoria Park printing press, Colourpress, was transferred to its Herdsman printing press site.
Perth Vita will enter the market after a significant change in Western Australia’s lifestyle media market.
Publisher of Postcards WA, Eyezon, will not publish another edition of the magazine, while the publishers of Perth Woman and Australian Vital, Shields Media, has sold the businesses (as well as four other magazines) to Moss Media.
Shields Media bought Consolidated Business Media’s publishing group, Australian Lifestyle Publishing & Australian Resource Media, last year.
West Australian Publishers also produces the Mining Chronicle and National Building News.
Mr Law told the AGM he was confident the acquisition of the publishing group would play an important part in the WAN’s future.
The announcement is in line with Mr Law’s long-stated goal of achieving growth through acquisitions and new business opportunities.
WAN purchased the Quokka classifieds business for $16 million in December 2002 and its earnings before interest, tax, and noteworthy items grew from $0.8 million for the 2002 to 2003 financial year to $2 million the following year.
WAN also acquired North West regional radio network Redwave Media for $12 million in July 2003 and, according to Mr Law, its earnings for the six months to June 30 “met expectations”.