Observer Revamps Life and TV Listings

The Observer‘s supplements are the latest titles to join the spate of redesigns occurring across the print industry, by re-jigging its Life and Observer TV magazines.

From 21 April, Life will appear in a new size glossy format and be called the Observer Magazine, while Observer TV will be changed to an A5 format and have eight pages added to allow expanded editorial and more comprehensive listings.

Observer editor Roger Alton said: “Following on from the success of Observer Sport Monthly and Observer Food Monthly, the Observer Magazine will benefit from the same innovative and glossy design of these supplements…Design, production and editorial changes will give the magazine a brighter and more contemporary feel.” Marc Sands, marketing director at Guardian Newspapers Limited, added that the changes to format and design have brought “a more modern, stylish and friendly feel which helps to enhance the editorial content.”

Editor Allan Jenkins and the established writers for the magazine will remain, but the new formula will see the magazine made up of a front section including investigative features, photography and in-depth celebrity interviews, while the back section will focus on lifestyle, including a new section on modern relationships, a Love Life column by Mariella Frostrup and a new men’s fashion column.

The revamp does not seem like a rescue attempt, however, as readership of Life magazine saw encouraging growth over the last year. NRS readership figures for the November 2001 to February 2002 period saw year on year growth of 21.5% to over 1 million for the magazine, compared to growth of 6.4% to just under 1.2m for the paper as a whole.

Observer: 020 7278 2332 www.observer.co.uk

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