HK Magazine

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HK Magazine is a free English language magazine. It is a Hong Kong-based English-language weekly published by Asia City Publishing Limited. Premiering in 1991, it targets young metropolitans. It offers discussions on social issues as well as entertainment listings. New issues are distributed every Friday; piles of copies are a common sight. The 600th issue was published on 11 November 2005.

Contents 1 History 2 Distribution 3 Readership 4 Contents 5 Periodic Supplements 5.1 Restaurant Guide 5.2 Nightlife Guide 5.3 Health and Beauty Guide 6 Other Services 7 Editors and Directors 8 See also 9 External links 9.1 About HK Magazine 9.2 Articles from HK Magazine 10 References

[edit] History

The founders of HK Magazine are Greg Duncan, Stephen Freeman and Gretchen Worth. In 1989, considering Hong Kong a suitable place to start a magazine, they decided to establish an English-language magazine.

The first issue, called HK: the indispensable Hong Kong Guide, was published in June 1991 by the local private company Asia City Publishing Limited. It had 24 pages and claimed a circulation of 15,000. It continued to publish on a monthly schedule until November 1992, when because of the ambiguity of the name and the change of the publisher's schedule, the magazine was renamed HK Magazine, and switched to a bi-weekly schedule for the next three years.

Later in September 1995, it became a weekly magazine. Currently, the claimed circulation is 100,000.

[edit] Distribution

The magazine, which is audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, is free at around 900 venues including restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bookshops and retail stores. The distribution outlets are mostly concentrated in commercial business districts.

In July 2006 HK Magazine claimed it increased its circulation to 100,000 copies per week.

[edit] Readership

The magazine claims around 236,000 readers per week.

According to a survey conducted by HK Magazine in 2004, 87% of the readers are holders of at least one university degree and 75% earn more than HK$30,000 per month. (Source: HK Magazine 2004 Readership Survey, HK Magazine 2004 Distribution Survey).

[edit] Contents

HK Magazine usually contains features about social issues, and articles about music, movies, fashion, dining and travel, etc. --> The main sections that appear regularly in the magazine are:

Letters

Letters from readers. There may be comments or thoughts about past issues of the magazine or opinions towards social issue, etc.

Streettalk

Interviews with ordinary Hong Kong people on their lifestyle and working environment. For example, in an issue, a news vendor was interviewed about his working condition and the habits of his customers.

Features

Generally, there are two features in each issue, both covering local issues and sometimes foreign issues. The first one is usually about social, political and cultural events. The second one is usually about events in everyday life.

Dish

This section includes features and reviews on restaurants and cafes, introducing the latest news on where to find delicacies in Hong Kong. There are usually recommendations of an indoor, an outdoor and a new restaurant in every issue. Sometimes, there will be a collection of recommendations from a particular country or cuisine.

Where to go & what to do

There are six different categories in this section:

1. Nightlife: List of clubs and bars in alphabetical order.
2. Art: Galleries and shows in Hong Kong.
3. Stage : Concerts or dances.
4. Sport: "Spectator Sports" and "Get Physical".
5. Stuff: Classes, seminars and workshops.
6. Film: Synopses and reviews of recently released movies, CDs and DVDs and also a film schedule.

First person

Interviews with celebrities and politicians.

Black + White

Attached as a separate booklet, containing classified advertisements and a 'Q & A section'.

In every issue

Comics, astrology, and short paragraphs about significant cultural events.

[edit] Periodic Supplements

[edit] Restaurant Guide

An annual publication providing information about restaurants in Macau and Hong Kong.

"Restaurant Guide" gives out a "Dish Award" every year. Hong Kong's Habibi Restaurant, which serves Middle-eastern cuisine, won the 2003 HK Magazine Dish Award.

[edit] Nightlife Guide

An annual publication with information about bars and discos around Hong Kong with short descriptions.

[edit] Health and Beauty Guide

[edit] Other Services

HK Magazine collaborates with "Relationship Network", an online personal network, to provide online meeting services and personal ads.

[edit] Editors and Directors

• Publisher and Executive Editor: Stephen Freeman
• Group Editorial Director: Tom Hilditch
• Senior Consulting Editor: Jane Steer
• Editor: Zach Hines
• Features Editor: Winnie Yeung
• Associate Editor: Bruce Dawson
• Arts and Entertainment Editor: Alexandra Carroll
• Staff Writer: Natasha Stokes, Adam White, Jan Leung, Sarah Fung
• Production Manager: Blackie Hui
• Advertising Director: George Christofis
• Marketing Director: Michelle Fong
• Group Financial Controller: Philip Wong

[edit] See also

• Media in Hong Kong
• List of magazines in Hong Kong

[edit] External links

[edit] About HK Magazine

• Asia City Publishing Group
• Places to pick up HK Magazine

[edit] Articles from HK Magazine

• Street Talk: The Book, Man - Street Talk: Interview with Nick Lovatt, by Patrick Suen
• Mr Know-It-All's Guide to Article 23 - Feature about Article 23, by Joyce Hor-Chung Lau, 31/01/2003
• Shot From the Outside - Feature about the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival, by Clare Tyrrell, 9/3/2001
• The Dish On Dining: High Food - Restaurant Review, by Reggie Ho, 31/08/2001
• The Fifth Annual Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival - Shout article about Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival, 19/11/2004

[edit] References

• Companies Registry (2005). Retrieved October 11, 2005.