16 | Magazine World | April 2007 www.fipp.com
China
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE
WORLD’S MOST EXCITING
MAGAZINE MARKET
Want to know more about China’s magazine
industry? Let Zhang Bohai, former chairman of
the China Periodicals Association, be your guide
account for 3.7% of the total media ad revenue. to protect its market from foreign control, more
In the same year, China TV ad revenue came to than 40 international brand magazines have
RMB 35.53 billion, while the total newspaper accomplished this type of cooperation with
ad revenue was RMB 25.6 billion. Chinese publishers so far. Through international
In 2006, the China Institute of Publishing cooperation, Chinese brand magazines gain
Science (CIPS) issued a survey report experience and get more opportunities to enter
on Chinese civil reading and purchasing the international market. We can therefore say
tendencies that showed that newspaper and that the Chinese periodical market is by no
book reading has continually decreased, while means an unbreakable wall.
periodical readership grows year after year. Certainly there are still many low quality
There are two reasons for the growing number magazines in China. But we believe that high
of magazine readers. First of all, periodicals quality magazines will gradually replace the
have been making rapid quality improvements low and poor quality magazines which will
which are widely recognised. Creative ideas, either be eliminated or strive to improve. Fierce
touching stories, colourful pictures and printing competition has already begun, particularly
quality of a world class standard are becoming among consumer magazines and in this way,
more and more available in the market. For the industry will be improved. This is good news
example, although Chinese National Geography for China because such quality improvement is
(collectable edition) has a very high cover price, difficult or impossible in a traditional planned
its circulation is up to one million per issue. economy society.
Secondly, the marketing power of publishers Chinese publishers always pay close
is growing at a rapid rate. For instance, attention to new trends in the media. Although
circulation of the new digest magazine Special the traditional periodical publishing industry
Focus reached two million due to new market doesn’t yet sense powerful pressure from web-
F
irst the facts: In China in 2006, there development methods such as ‘embracing based media, such new media will win over the
were 9,386 licensed periodicals with a circulation terminals’. traditional sooner or later.
total circulation of 2.85 billion copies. The improved product quality and market This idea strikes the thinking of many Chinese
Compared with 2005, the number of development power enables magazine publishers. Some people manage traditional
titles declined by 0.39% and total printed copies companies to build strength and expand magazines with full confidence, while at the
increased by 3.7%. Since March 2005, China scale by the merging and acquisition of same time giving special focus to new web
has had its own auditing service agency: Sino poorly managed magazines. At present, some media which has a great future in China.
Publication Audit Centre (SPAC). companies publish a group of magazines of In May 2007, the 36th FIPP World Magazine
More than 100 newspapers and periodicals more than 20 different titles. This heralds the Congress will be held in Beijing and the
have filed audit applications to SPAC. The future shape of China’s periodical industry, traditional periodicals will participate in
Reader, which has the largest circulation in where previously one company published international strategic discussions about digital
China, has been audited by SPAC and its only one magazine. publishing strategies. It is believed that China’s
average circulation reached 4,617,370 per Cooperating with internationally famous periodical industry will learn a lot from this.
issue during the first quarter of 2006. magazines with copyrights or establishing
In 2006, the total advertising revenue of collaborating relationships in circulation and
Zhang Bohai, is the former chairman and
China periodicals was Chinese Renminbi advertising are ways some well-established
(RMB) 2.49 billion ($310 million) with an Chinese magazine publishers are adopting.
now consultant of the China Periodicals
increase of 2.3% over 2005 (2006’s total ad Although China’s publishing administration
Association, and has written extensively
revenue is not yet published). Magazines has implemented certain restrictions in order on the Chinese publishing industry
P16-17 China (V2)-corr.indd 2 28/3/07 10:05:51
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