THE Scots politics and current affairs magazine, Holyrood, has been acquired by the publisher of a rival.
The move – which sees the Edinburgh-based title taken on by Biteback Media group, publisher of Total Politics magazine – will see the departure of Holyrood owner and publisher, Hamish Miller, in Spring.
The acquisition is, technically, of the publishing and events company, Holyrood Communications.
Says a statement announcing the deal: “Holyrood Communications’ publishes several magazines in Scotland, including the award winning fortnightly current affairs title Holyrood, which was launched in 1998 following devolution. It also runs over 40 public policy conferences annually.
Biteback Media chief executive, Shane Greer, is quoted, in the statement, as saying: “Holyrood is the leading political publishing and events company in Scotland, and it’s achieved that status through an unwavering commitment to unparalleled client service.
“That’s a value we live by at Biteback. It’s very much a case of two companies with the same culture and passion for what they do. This acquisition adds substantially to the breadth and depth of service the Biteback Group offers to clients. The past four years have been a story of growth for Biteback and I couldn’t be more excited by this latest chapter.”
The statement adds: “Outgoing owner and publisher Hamish Miller has agreed to continue managing the day-to-day operations of Holyrood Communications during a transition period to March 2013. During that time a new publisher will be announced.”
He is quoted, as saying: “I’m proud of the company we’ve built and I know that the Biteback Media group will take Holyrood Communications to new heights in Scotland. Holyrood is in great hands going forward.”
Editor, Mandy Rhodes, told allmediascotland.com: “This is a positive development for Holyrood and puts us on a much more secure financial footing in what is unquestionably a difficult economic time. This is an incredibly exciting time for politics in Scotland and, with this new relationship, I am confident that Hamish’s original vision for a quality political magazine for Scotland will simply be improved on.”
