media - ESPN pushes the envelope



(later today also in Chinabiz; picture: the first cover)

The famous US sporting magazine ESPN launched on Friday their Chinese edition in Shanghai, trying to write media history in China. It was the first time that a foreign publication takes almost full control of a magazine at the mainland. It was very eager to make the launch into a low-key event for their mainly American bosses.
“You cannot run such a magazine, without being in control,” said Bernard Stewart, vice president and general manager at ESPN Asia Pacific.
China still does not have such a sporting magazine,” said Joseph Poon, CEO of the Vertex Group and the Hong Kong partner in the venture.
The magazine obtained a publishing license from a magazine of the China Sport Academy that “will have the last screening control over the magazine”, explained Poon. Giving editorial control to foreign companies, even in such inconspicuous fields as sport, is off limits in China. In the first magazine, that will appear monthly, the Shanghai Century Publishing Group was mentioned as a local publisher.
It will be the first time a Chinese partner has only nominal control over a publication in China. The new partners were not too sure how their milestone in the Chinese publishing industry would go down, and organized a rather low-key launch for their US partners, the first one where not only their local partners were absent, but any governmental representation was lacking.
“When Procter and Gamble is launching a new tooth paste, they do not invite government officials for that,” Joseph Poon defended himself. Obvious Mr. Poon had not attended many tooth paste launches in China.
Up to now virtually all media projects in China where foreign companies tried to have a say have failed when those media came close to a success. Virgin withdrew from a radio project only weeks ago in Beijing and many of the so-called city-magazines are developing trouble. Most notably That’s-magazines got into trouble after it had to hard control over to its Chinese partner. Successful ventures like ‘Elle’ could survive because the French mother company only sold the publishing license to a Chinese company.