Singapore/Hong Kong, 13 June, 2012 – Discovery Channel Magazine has won the Award for Excellence in Magazine Design, at the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) 2012 Awards for Editorial Excellence. The magazine’s December 2011 issue was recognized at the awards and SOPA’s judges praised its “excellent use of visual images and photography”.
The prize was accepted by Novus Media’s design director, Richard MacLean, at the SOPA 2012 Awards held in Hong Kong last week. On this exciting win, MacLean said, “This was one of the most impactful and reflective issues I’ve worked on. Design is a team effort — and against some amazing titles, this award validates the hard work of the Novus team, and the trust of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.”
Tom Keaveny, president and managing director, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said the award, chosen from a total of 578 entries throughout Asia, was further recognition of Discovery Channel’s brand leadership position in providing compelling and high quality content to a fast-growing region. “Discovery Channel Magazine was created to provide additional touch points for our viewers with the TV brand, and to serve as an extension of Discovery Channel’s ability to satisfy their curiosity on a broad range of subjects. We are extremely pleased to be receiving this award, fresh off the magazine’s relaunch,” he said.
The awards were attended by many of the leading news brands in the Asia-Pacific region, including Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Economist, Bloomberg, International Herald Tribune, TIME, Newsweek, Financial Times, South China Morning Post, The Straits Times and Jakarta Globe. Winning entries came from markets including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Taiwan and Indonesia.
“This is an exciting prize for Novus Media, and a tribute to the passion and hard work of our whole team, and to our close partnership with Discovery Networks,” said Rosemarie Wallace, chief executive officer of Novus Media Solutions, who also attended the ceremony, with Discovery Channel Magazine editor Luke Clark. “To be given this honour alongside some of the iconic brands in news media, is just amazing,” Clark said. “December’s issue was just our second since our relaunch, and it’s fantastic to get such a strong endorsement of a magazine we’re extremely passionate about.”
Published monthly, Discovery Channel Magazine has a contemporary and movement-heavy design and feel, which stays true to the DNA of the Discovery Channel brand. Since its November relaunch, the magazine carries a new look, and many bold new features — including info-graphics, deep and intense feature treatments, and a fresh and engaging front section.
The winning December 2011 edition covered the usual diverse range of features, highlighted by ‘Nature’s Fury’, an intense summary of the year’s shocking bout of natural disasters, and ‘The Day That Shook Japan’, a close-up look at how the events of March 11, 2011, changed a nation forever. Also amidst the feature mix was a look at the science behind the Large Hadron Collider; an in-depth look at the technical and human dimensions of the world’s coal industry — and a breezy account of the return to well-being of Mozambique’s Quirimbas Islands.
About Discovery Channel Magazine
Mirroring the different genres featured on Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel Magazine covers a wide spectrum of topics within 13 pillars – nature, adventure, marvels, sci-tech, history, the universe, forensics, seekers, survival, info-tech, psychology, and the environment. The editorial delivers a compelling read, with strong injections of humour and emotion.
Discovery Channel Magazine is sold in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand at news stands, and for subscription sales in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan and Vietnam. Subscriptions are available at www.discoverychannelmag.com.
Discovery Channel Magazine retails in Australia at A$8.90, Hong Kong at HK$49, Indonesia at IDR60,000, Malaysia at RM14.95, New Zealand at NZ$10.90, the Philippines at PHP250, Singapore at S$8.50, Thailand at THB250 and Rest of Asia at US$10.
About the SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence
The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence 2012 attracted more than 578 entries, from across the Asia-Pacific region, and were decided by 111 independent judges. The Awards were established in 1999, as a tribute to editorial excellence in both traditional and new media, and were designed to encourage editorial vitality throughout the region. They cover a broad range of different categories, reflecting Asia’s diverse geopolitical environment and vibrant editorial scene.
The SOPA Awards are coordinated by a committee of publishing professionals from the business and editorial sectors, and judged by international judges from many of the region’s leading newspapers, as well as consumer and trade magazines, and academics from leading universities. The Awards are supported by a number of international media organisations, including the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), the World Editors Forum (WEF), and the editorial division of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). For more information on the SOPA Awards, click here.
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About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s leading non-fiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 130-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Science and Discovery HD, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. In the Asia-Pacific region, seven Discovery brands reach 537 million cumulative subscribers in 34 countries with programming customised in 15 languages.
About Novus Media Solutions
Novus Media Solutions (Novus) is a Singapore-based custom content and publishing specialist that works on all platforms, from print through to digital and video. With a team of experienced editors as well as an in-house digital arm, Novus works with clients across the Asia-Pacific region on all aspects of the publishing process — content as well as sales, marketing and communications. Founded by Simon Cholmeley and Rosemarie Wallace in late 2009, Novus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Novus Group Holdings.
Contact:
Charles Yap/Ching Yee Wong
charles_yap@discovery.com/chingyee_wong@discovery.com
DID: (65) 6510 7637/(65) 6510 7589