Thursday, March 28, 2024

Magazines going back to Leggett

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NZX Agri is selling its two farm management magazines, Country-Wide and The New Zealand Dairy Exporter.
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NZX Agri head Tony Leggett will buy both titles for an undisclosed sum and would take over from November 1, NZX chief executive Tim Bennett said.

The sale followed a lengthy internal review of the company’s agriculture information and data businesses in NZ and Australia.

NZX Agri would continue to publish its news title, The New Zealand Farmers Weekly, and provide digital access to its content through associated website, farmersweekly.co.nz.

The reach and frequency of the Farmers Weekly provided NZX with an excellent channel to the farming sector.

“The Farmers Weekly, print and online, played a big part in the successful launch and early uptake from farmers of our Milk Price Futures and Options market,” Bennett said.

An increasing focus for the company would be the continued development of its suite of agriculture data and the analysis business producing subscriber products for both farmers and the agri-service sector in NZ and Australia.

“We’re also buoyed the by the success of AgriHQ Pulse, our corporate agri-sector news service.

We are now heading towards a thousand subscribers from well over 50 NZ agribusinesses since launching it in November last year,” Bennett said.

Leggett would continue as acting manager of the overall business, working two to three days a week from November 1, until a new head of NZX Agri was recruited, most likely late in the first quarter next year.

At that point, he would move into an advisory role with the company for one or two days a week.

“It’s an exciting move for me personally and comes at a time of unprecedented change in the media sector,” Leggett said.

“Niche print titles still have a strong future provided they continue to deliver value to subscribers and advertisers. Both titles have an incredibly loyal group of subscribers and I really value that.”

Eight staff closely involved in the magazine production and content, including both editors, would join Leggett in the new venture. Most would work from NZX Agri’s Global HQ office in Feilding.

“We’re also buoyed the by the success of AgriHQ Pulse, our corporate agri-sector news service. We are now heading towards a thousand subscribers from well over 50 NZ agribusinesses since launching it in November last year.”

Tim Bennett

NZX

“That means I’ll remain connected to the NZX Agri business so I can deliver my role initially as manager and then as an adviser. And I’m close to the action on the two magazines,” he said.

NZX Agri's sales team will continue selling advertising into both magazines on a commission basis.

"It's very much business as usual from an advertising sales perspective. I really value the relationships that our sales team has developed with advertisers who support the two magazines and this won't change under the new ownership structure," Leggett said.

It was a return to ownership of both titles for Leggett.

Country-Wide was the initial title he and fellow publisher Dean Williamson bought to create Country-Wide Publications in 1997.

Dairy Exporter was added to the stable in early 2009, just before the business was bought by NZX in May.

Among those making the move with the magazines was long-time Country-Wide editor Terry Brosnahan who started his role in 2000. Brosnahan is based in Dunedin.

Dairy Exporter would continue to be edited by Jackie Harrigan who would work from the Feilding office.

“A lot has changed since those early days of publishing Country-Wide and Dairy Exporter,” Leggett said.

“But what has never changed, regardless of whether it’s delivered in print or in digital form, is the demand from readers for high quality content.

“That is critical to the success of both magazines for readers, advertisers and staff.”

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