1. Task 4- Research into music
industries and institutions
Questions 1-4
2. 1. What types of magazines and target audiences has Times Inc
(formerly IPC) been associated with over the years?
1800S-1900s
• Initially, the publishing company only published magazines aimed at middle class white males. Horse & Hound,
Shooting Times, Yachting World, Amateur Gardening, Cycling Weekly, Amateur, Photographer and The Railway
Magazine were the first magazines they published.
• In 1889, they started to do competitions and do promotions, they did this because they knew they had a wealthy
target audience so the readers would enter.
1920s-1940s
• Ideal home was launched 1926. By launching this magazine they were targeting the female housewives in
society. The magazine was aimed at white middle class females. By publishing this they were moving away from
just a male audience and it shows they are willing to publish for a wider audience.
• Women's Own is released in 1932. Women's Own was the first full colour magazine which shows that technology
was developing, this shows they are moving with the times.
• In the 1940s IPC started publishing women's magazines seeking so they could British women's morale up during
the war and keep them regularly updated.
1950s
• In 1952 NME was first published; it is still being published today. It was the first and only music magazine
published by Times Inc, publishing this shows that are still moving with the times.
• In 1995, ITV started up so Times Inc started to publish the TV Times, they started putting celebrities on the
covers because they knew people would be more interested to read them.
3. Question 1 continued
1960s-
• In 1963, Newnes, Fleetway and Odhams Press formed to create the International Publishing Corporation(IPC).
They all worked together to publish the individual magazines.
• In 1969, the first football magazine was published- 'Shoot!'. This magazine was the first of its kind so people
were more interested in reading it. It also welcomed a wider target audience and people of a lower class than
middle, e.g. Working class.
• They also publish Rugby World, World Soccer, Angler's Mail and Family Cirle in the 1960s.
1970s-
• Successful launches of the 70s include, Aeroplane Monthly, Sporting Gun and SuperBike.
• These magazines make IPCs audience change back to being middle class white males.
1980s-
• 4X4, Eventing, Chat, Mizz, Motor Caravan Magazine, Wedding & Home, Country Homes & Interiors, Classic
Boat, Model Collector, Motor Boats Monthly, Practical Parenting, VolksWorld and Bird Keeper, these magazines
were released in the 80s. They show that IPC started advertising to a wider audience by appealing to everyone's
hobbies/interests.
1990s-
• Loaded is released which targeted young men, this brings in a wider target audience and makes them more
known/successful.
• NME is the first magazine to get its own internet site. This shows developing technology and that they are
appealing to a wider audience.
2000s-
Nuts is launched in January 2004, this is where magazines start sexualising women and making them look like
objects rather than humans.
4. 2. Why might Times Inc be an appropriate publisher for a new music
magazine?
• They are a a very well known publishing company that have been around for a long
time so they are well established which means they would bring in a wide target
audience and people would be aware of my magazine immediately.
• Times Inc published magazines in the 1920s that are still around today so I know
they are a loyal company to their traditional magazines. It also shows they are willing
to publish a magazine for many years because they have dedicated readers
• They are a company that are willing to branch out and publish magazines that would
appeal to a target audience they don't already publish for.
• They have a lot of money as a company so they wouldn't miss out on much if the
magazine failed but if it was successful it would add more success/money into the
company.
• They have only publish one music magazine so by publishing a second they can get
a wider range of readers because the genre would be different.
5. 3. What sorts of genres of music/types of magazines might they be
likely to publish?
• I think they would willingly publish a music magazine because they only have one
that they currently publish.
• They would publish any genre but it would most likely be a genre that is different to
NME because they want to broaden their audience and publish for people with
different tastes.
• They could publish genres like, Pop, Rock, Classical, R&B etc.
• However, they may want to publish a magazine with the same genre of music as
NME because of the success the magazine has had since it first published.