Funding hitch delays launch of Manchester's Time Out

by Robin Parker, Media Week 11-Apr-07, 09:00

LONDON - Time Out has delayed the launch of a Manchester edition of its flagship magazine, originally due to appear this spring, until at least October, as it still needs to secure funds for the proposed launch.

The postponement of the magazine, Time Out's first UK edition outside London, has knocked back the roll-out of a Liverpool Time Out, initially set for September, until at least next year.

Tony Elliott, Time Out's chairman and founder, said: "We've quite significantly delayed Time Out Manchester while we sort out our financing for it. It'll probably appear in October, but if not, it will be out in February next year."

Elliott declined to comment further on the financing model, but is understood to be talking to potential funding partners for the launch. He said Manchester remained the priority for its next launch, with Liverpool to follow.

Elliott was in talks with promotional group Market Birmingham towards the end of last year, but a publishing model for the city has yet to emerge.

The publisher has just launched a guidebook for Manchester and plans to add listings content to its website for the city, www.timeout.com/ manchester, in the next month.

Time Out published a single Manchester edition, part-funded by promotional body Manchester Marketing in a one-off deal last September to coincide with the Labour Party Conference in the city. It was on sale for four weeks.

At the time, Elliott said a weekly version would be out in or around March this year, with a circulation of between 15,000 and 20,000 copies, half of which would be distributed for free to hotels and to members of cultural centres.

The publisher still plans to appoint a regional sales team to support its plan to launch more local editions, some of which are likely to be web-only. The London office will also sell deals for national clients.

Time Out also publishes weekly editions in New York and Chicago and is published under licence in Dubai, Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Istanbul and Tel Aviv.