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HK Magazine

HK Magazine is Hong Kong's largest circulation 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 with a focus on "City Living". It offers discussions on current social issues as well as entertainment listings. New issues of the magazine are distributed every Friday. The magazine has become an icon of Hong Kong and piles of free copies are a common site in bars, restaurants and city sidewalks. The 600th issue was published on 11 November 2005.


Contents

History

The founders of HK Magazine are Greg Duncan, Stephen Freeman and Gretchen Worth. In 1989, considering Hong Kong as a suitable place to start a city living 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 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, with an expanded variety of articles and a larger page count. Currently, the regular number of pages is 64-72 with a circulation of 100,000.

Distribution

The magazine, which is audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, is available for free on every Friday in around 900 venues in Hong Kong. These venues include restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bookshops, retail stores and other venues that are frequently visited by tourists and expatriates. Therefore the distribution outlets are mostly concentrated in commercial business districts like Central and Tsim Sha Tsui.

In July 2006 HK Magazine increased its circulation to 100,000 copies per week, making it Hong Kong's biggest English language magazine.

Readership

The magazine targets a young readership, especially the local Chinese population who have a good command in English, expatriates and tourists.

It has around 236,000 readers per week, of which 60% are female, and about 83% of the readers are in the age group of 20-44. Just about half of the readers are English-speaking Chinese.

According to a survey conducted by HK Magazine in 2004, 87% of the readers are holders of at least one university degree and 75% of them earn more than HK$30,000 per month, supporting its claim that its readers are in general well-educated and affluent young professionals. (Source: HK Magazine 2004 Readership Survey, HK Magazine 2004 Distribution Survey).

Contents

HK Magazine covers mainly the reviews and reports of local venues and entertainment events. The main sections that appear regularly in the magazine are:

Letters
Letters from readers who would like to have their voices heard are published. 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: Nightlife in Hong Kong, with a list of clubs and bars in alphabetical order.
  2. Art: Details of different art galleries and shows in Hong Kong.
  3. Stage : Concerts or dances in Hong Kong theaters.
  4. Sport: Upcoming sporting events in two parts, "Spectator Sports" and "Get Physical".
  5. Stuff: Different classes, seminars and workshops around Hong Kong.
  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 mainly classified advertisements and a 'Q & A section', where the readers post questions and the magazine writer provides the answers.
In every issue
Comics, astrology, and short paragraphs about significant cultural events.

Periodic Supplements

Restaurant Guide

An annual publication providing information about restaurants in Macau and Hong Kong. It can also be bought separately for $50.

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

Nightlife Guide

An annual publication with comprehensive information about bars and discos around Hong Kong with short descriptions. It can also be bought separately for $30.

Health and Beauty Guide

Other Services

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

Editors and Directors

See also

About HK Magazine

Articles from HK Magazine

References

Categories


English-language magazines | Hong Kong magazines | Weekly magazines

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