The hot topic for many involved in magazine publishing in Australia yesterday was the report that European magazine publisher Bauer was in negotiations to purchase ACP Magazines.
Several newsagents I spoke with during the day wanted to talk about what such an acquisition might mean.
The way I see it, ACP being sold to Bauer or some other established publishing business could be good for the company and magazine publishing generally. Good competition fosters good competition and this results in better products.
Magazines live or die by the value those reading them discover in their pages. A publisher purchasing ACP will help it deliver better products. A private equity player purchasing ACP is less likely to focus on driving value through content – in my view.
Newsagents can only sit and watch what happens with ACP with more than passing interest from the sidelines.
Check out a recent blog post by Colin Morrison, former ACP Chief Executive now based in Britain, about the challenges the company faces.