Newsweek to launch Turkish-language edition in spring

PR Newswire US

March 2, 2007 Friday, New York

This spring, Newsweek will launch « Newsweek Turkey, » its eighth non-English language edition. This new edition will be published in collaboration with Merkez Gazete Dergi Basim Yayincilik San. ve Tic A.S., Newsweek Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Richard M. Smith and Ciner Media Group President, Kenan Tekdag announced.

Newsweek Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, and Merkez Gazete Dergi Basim Yayincilik San ve Tic A.S. signed an agreement dated January 1, 2007 to develop and publish Newsweek Turkey. The licensing agreement was signed by Harold Shain, Newsweek President and Chief Operating Officer and Mehmet Erden Demirel, General Manager of Magazine Group.

« We are delighted to be partnering with Ciner Media to produce a high- quality newsmagazine for a Turkish audience, » Smith says. « We welcome the opportunity to expand our foreign-language editions into Turkey and look forward to providing our readers there with superb coverage of global issues as well as local coverage. »

The weekly magazine will have its own staff of top Turkish reporters and editors and will cover the most significant developments in Turkey and the world. Ergun Babahan will be the Editor of the magazine. The first issue is expected to hit newsstands this spring.

« I and my editorial team feel honored that we will have the chance to be part of the world’s most prestigious news magazine, » Babahan said. « Newsweek Turkey will be the first licensed international news magazine in Turkey and will play a lead role and add different interpretations in describing and analyzing Turkey’s politics and economy in accordance with Newsweek’s editorial independence and high journalistic standards. » He continued, « Newsweek Turkey will be able to draw upon both its own editorial staff and Newsweek’s international network of correspondents as it looks for the human stories behind the news, bringing a fresh perspective to its Turkish audience. »

Circulation is expected to be 50,000, and will be distributed throughout Turkey. Advertising will be sold by Merkez Reklam in Turkey and Newsweek International will sell ads elsewhere. A one-page color ad is priced at 26.000 YTL (US$18,000).

Ciner Magazine Group is part of the Ciner Media Group companies, which consists of several companies in different media sectors including television, newspaper, radio, distribution and printing, and it is one of Turkey’s leading publishers, with over 30 titles, including leading titles in every major market category.

Newsweek publishes three English-language international editions (Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia and Latin America) and now has eight international editions under license, of which seven are foreign language. Newsweek is the only American newsweekly to publish foreign-language editions.

Newsweek Nihon Ban, in Japanese, is published in collaboration with Hankyu Corporation of Osaka, Japan. It’s been published since 1986 and has a circulation of 101,000. Newsweek Hankuk Pan, in Korean, has been published under a licensing agreement with Joong-ang Ilbo of Korea, since 1991. Newsweek Hankuk Pan’s circulation is 78,000. In 1996, Newsweek announced the launch of Newsweek en Espanol, a Spanish-language edition. It’s distributed throughout Latin America, with a circulation of 103,000 and, since January 2004, is published with News for America, LLC of Mexico City. Newsweek in Arabic, published in Kuwait by Dar Al-Watan Publishing Group, is distributed throughout Persian Gulf countries, the Middle East, North African nations and select cities in Europe and the U.S. Launched in June 2000, Newsweek in Arabic has a circulation of 30,000. Newsweek Polska, launched in 2001, has a circulation of 160,000 and is published through a licensing agreement with Axel Springer Polska. And in December 2002 Newsweek, signed an agreement with Hong Kong’s Vertex Group, to publish Newsweek Select — a Chinese-language magazine. Distribution of the magazine in the Peoples Republic of China began in April 2004. Circulation is 95,000. In 2004, Newsweek launched « Russky Newsweek » published in collaboration with Moscow-based Axel Springer Russia. The circulation is 50,000.

In addition, Newsweek is available throughout Australia in English through a licensing agreement with ACP Publishing Limited. The Bulletin with Newsweek has a circulation of 70,000.

Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has 22 bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. Newsweek’s circulation is more than 3.1 million in the U.S. and more than 4 million worldwide. Newsweek’s total U.S. audience exceeds 19 million and 22.5 million worldwide. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries. Newsweek holds more National Magazine Awards, given by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), than any other newsweekly. Newsweek is also on the World Wide Web at http://www.newsweek.com/ .

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