Trader Media Group

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The Trader Media Group (TMG) is a publishing company, specialising in classified display advertising, based in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the Guardian Media Group.

Trader Media Group's 72 titles, which have a combined circulation of more than one million copies per week, include the well known motoring titles Auto Trader, Bike Trader, Truck Trader and Top Marques, as well as the UK's largest circulating free-ads title AdTrader.

TMG also owns the UK's busiest automotive web site, www.autotrader.co.uk, the general classified site www.adtrader.co.uk and interactive services on Digital TV and mobile phones.

Also in the portfolio is Marine Trader Media, which includes the leading publication in the UK and Europe for buying and selling water craft, Boats and Yachts for Sale and its sister publication Boat Trader

TMG also has publications in Italy and the Netherlands.

[edit] History

In 1976 John Madejski brought the idea of 'Auto Trader' back from America, during the period of 1977 - 1981 both Thames Valley Trader and Southern Trader were launched.

In 1983, Guardian Media Group and Hurst Publishing agreed to develop similar products together rather than go into a head to head circulation war, and in 1988 all titles were branded Auto Trader.

TMG continued to expand, and in 1995 launched Auto Trader in both Northern and Southern Ireland. In 1994-96 David Owen Smith Launched Top Marques, followed by other National Titles such as Bike Trader and Truck Trader.

In May 2000, the Auto Trader Division of the Guardian Media Group and the Venture capital firm BC Partners closed a deal to unite Auto Trader (previously co-owned) under one over-arching company, Trader Media Group.

Classic American, mostly an editorial publication on American motors past and present, was purchased in 1999, and is now published by Trader Media National.

At the end of August 2000 TMG acquired the TNT Group, the market-leading publisher of titles for Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans in the UK. In 2005 TNT Group expanded to launch a new weekly publication Fusion Magazine for Central and Eastern Europeans living in the UK.

In 2003 BC Partners entered into conversations with Guardian media group resulting in GMG having full ownership of TMG.

In 2005 the Organisation appointed Jerry Fowden as its new Chief Executive Officer.

In 2005 TMG acquired carzone.ie in Ireland.

In 2006 TMG acquired the BoatShop24 name (through its subsidiary Marine Trader Media) and rebranded the www.boats-for-sale.com website and relaunched it as www.boatshop24.co.uk - the official associated website for Boat Trader and Boats and Yachts for Sale publications.

Trader Media Group publishes Auto Trader, the UK’s 4th busiest website* overall (*Source: ABCe April 2006) and the no. 1 motoring site as well as market leading titles such as Top Marques, Bike Trader, Truck & Plant Trader, Ad Trader, Motorhome & Caravan Trader, Boats & Yachts for Sale, Boat Trader , Farmers Trader, Auto Freeway, TNT Magazine.