There is something gratifying about the fact that, on September 28, the Radio Times turns 100 years old. In our ever evolving media culture, which celebrates the annual unveiling of a new iPhone as something radical and innovative, the centenary of what is ostensibly a listing magazine may seem like a rather trivial milestone to commemorate.
Yet this companion publication to BBC broadcasts was launched in 1923 and has remained a feature of the UK media landscape ever since. In the words of the current joint editors, Tom Loxley and Shem Law, the publication: “has been at the heart of the national conversation, covering the momentous historical events, from Royal weddings, funerals, Coronations and births, the outbreak of war and declaration of peace, Moon landings, Olympics - and the best TV and radio from the last 100 years.” To get all the latest TV & Showbiz news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
If claiming that it has been at the “at the heart of the national conversation” is rather close to overstatement, there can be no doubt that Radio Times has grown exponentially from its original incarnation which carried information about six BBC wireless stations. Now, along with the magazine, there are associated websites, podcasts and a huge digital presence. The magazine has programme times for some 86 TV channels and 53 radio stations. There are interviews with star performers, programme reviews and countless broadcast summaries. It doesn’t flinch from cutting cultural criticism, either.
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But I suppose the most interesting thing of all about Radio Times, in this age of digital supremacy, is that that the magazine continues to exist at all in paper form. It is true that these are worrying times for the print media. Print circulation fell by around 40% in the years between 2010 and 2018 and in the last decade some 300 local newspapers ceased publishing in the UK. There has also been the closure of several once popular magazine print titles such as diverse Marie Claire and Q. According to the Press Gazette, “in 2000, some 1.6 billion magazines were circulated in the UK. Last year, that number was down to 565 million.”
Research in 2022 also revealed that over 50% of US and British news consumers preferred reading newspapers online than in print. Tellingly, this trend is reversed when it comes to magazines where people still feel the need for the print experience. Against this background, comes the news that NME music magazine is returning to print publishing five years after deciding to release digital only content. The plan is to reproduce a glossy magazine bimonthly which will retail at about £10.
Perhaps this is part of a wider cultural movement where the older consumers of music and related paraphernalia have reembraced the vinyl and cassettes of yesteryear. Buying magazines, though not with the zeal of previous days, is part of a reconnection with simpler days.
But for current affairs and satirical magazines such as the Spectator and Private Eye print sales have been high for a number of years. In 2017 it was revealed that Private Eye had had its biggest ever print circulation in the second half of 2016 and the Christmas issue achieved the biggest sale in the title’s 55-year history with 287,334 copies. Similarly, The Spectator recorded its highest ever total circulation figures of 71,707 with print and digital sales for the latter months of 2015. These are success stories that are not all that recent, but they have still occurred in the digital era.
So, what is about magazines that make them endure? On a very basic level, the longevity and dependability of the format is appealing to older generations who have not grown up with the ubiquity and immediacy of online information. Audiences exist today that have built relationships with magazine brands and the magazine is part of a personal experience: audiences await the day of their publication and trust their opinions and recommendations. Something like Uncut music magazine is actually central to the appeal and survival of rock music. It is part of the culture and not apart from it. Think of National Geographic which has changed very little in terms of format over the years. Its influence and standing depends on its unflinching devotion to quality photography and narrative. It avoids attention grabbing stunts which may hinder or damage brand values which have been nurtured over time.
Let’s not underestimate how important the act of reading a magazine is, either. Reading is not simply an act of ingesting information. How a publication looks, feels and sometimes smells, can be a strong part of its appeal. A physical magazine can also provide an antidote to the digital world and be used as an object to aid relaxation. We can return at leisure to our favourite segments, read at our own pace and not be bombarded by constant electronic interruptions.
Advertisers are still attracted to magazines, too. Though investment has dropped considerably, advertisers hope to cash in on the trust that exists between the reader and publication. The idea is that a magazine delivers the audience to the advertiser in precisely the right frame of mind to buy a product.
Returning, finally, to the Radio Times. Editor Shem Law recently said: “It’s a behemoth, a big beast in the publishing world when it comes to not just its heritage, its history and its importance over 100 years, but also the fact that it’s still highly profitable.”
Profitability is the key to Radio Times survival. And as it embarks on its second century, it seems important to note that the majority of revenue for the magazine comes from subscriptions and sales at news outlets. Indeed, in 2022 subscriptions to the magazine were 61% of total circulation. According to Intermediate Media, which owns Radio Times, this is the highest subscriber figure for any weekly magazine in the UK. Long may it continue!
* Dr Jewell is director of Undergraduate Studies at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Culture.
