BBC Appoints Jones Publishing To Launch 'Top Gear'

BBC Magazines appoints Jones Publishing to launch a New Zealand version of Top Gear Magazine

BBC Magazines and Jones Publishing have teamed up to launch Top Gear New Zealand magazine with the first issue of the new bi-monthly car title hitting the newsstand this September.

Top Gear Magazine has been the UK's leading general motoring title since its debut in 1993 and sells more than 165k copies a month with an equivalent readership of almost 1.5 million. Relaunched in 2004 under Editor Michael Harvey, the motoring title features a unique blend of hardcore buying advice and high entertainment values.

The magazine brand already has local editions in the Middle East, Russia, China, Indonesia and the Philippines and is already planning further launches in Europe and Asia later this year.

The New Zealand edition will feature a mix of both local and overseas content. Editor Cameron Officer has been given the role of finding local contributors with as much attitude as Top Gear TV show presenter and Top Gear magazine columnist Jeremy Clarkson.

The television series is consistently one of the top three rating programmes on New Zealand's Prime television network with up to 200,000 viewers per episode earning it around a 10% share of the AP 25-54 demographic.

Cameron Officer says: "I love the idea of personality in writing. Clarkson can get away with that because... well, because he's Jeremy Clarkson. He's motoring journalist royalty. People expect that irreverence from him. They expect it from the entire Top Gear machine and I am confident we can get that feel in the local version, while still offering a uniquely New Zealand point-of-view."

Top Gear New Zealand will go on sale at supermarkets, service stations and bookshops nationwide.

Jones Publishing was founded in 2003 by John Baker and Julian Andrews. Jones specialises in magazine publishing for premium brands. Current publications include consumer quarterly Dish, and the contract magazines Freebie for Freedom Air and Habitat for Resene Paints

James Hewes, Top Gear Magazine's International Project Manager says: "We chose to work with Jones because the team there has shown a great understanding of the brand values that have made Top Gear such a huge success both in the UK and overseas."

BBC Magazines is the UK's fourth-largest consumer magazine publisher and produces a wide range of market-leading titles.

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