What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The four main distributors in the magazine industry are Marketforce, Comag, Frontline and Seymour.

I researched into Frontline to find out what they do.

The company was formed in June 1986 by the magazine publisher Emap who are now Bauer Media. Frontline sells and distributes over 160 of their partners' magazines. including 54 of the top 200 best selling titles in the UK (csource ABC.) Their magazines sell nearly 8 million copies every week through over 55,00 shops ranging from the smallest corner shops to the bigger hypermarkets. This makes them the biggest magazines distributor in the UK. Frontline maximises the sale of the magzine in the most cost-effective way by connecting with their partners' knowledge of the readers with the retailers' understanding of their shoppers in order to boost their sales. Frontline employs over 120 people and has its offices in central Peterborough.

Their publishers are BBC, Haymarket, Bauer etc and they have the full responsibility for producing the magazine which includes the editorial and selling and advertising. Next is the distributors who are Frontline, Comag and Marketforce. Their key role is the arrange deliveries of the magazine to the wholesalers from the printers for further distribution. Then is the Wholesaler who are companies such as Smiths News, Menzies Distribution and 60 other wholesale houses. The wholesalers are responsible for supplying retail outlets with the newspapers and magazines. Next is the Retailer who are companies such as WHS, ASDA, Tesco and 55,00 other retailers. These ensure that the magazines are displayed for the consumer to buy.

Frontline distributes many magazines and they work with three major UK publishers, these are Haymarket, Bauer and the BBC.

The Bauer Publishing group was founded in Hamburg in 1875 and is now a worldwide publishing empire comprising of 238 magazines worldwide in 15 countries as well as TV and radio stations.

Bauer's first magazine was Bella mag in 1987, the company then launched Take A Break which has maintained its number 1 status and is currently selling over 1 million copies a week.

Then in 1990 they launched TVQuick and then in 1991 thats life! and then in 1995 TVChoice.

Bauer is now the largest consumer magazine publlishing company in the UK, playing a primary role in the Womans Weekles, Womans Interest,Womans Lifestyle, TV Listings, Puzzles, Mens Lifestyles, Music, Film and Specialist magazine markets.

Some of their music magazines are Kerrang and Q.

Kerrangs platforms are Kerrang! Magazine, Radio, TV -Sky 368, Virgin Media 342 and their website.

Their audience profile is individually minded, independant of thought and musically experienced, an audience defined by attitude, loyalty and passion.,

Since Q's launch in 1986 its been the UK's best selling music monthly magazine and has delivered the worlds biggest stars every month. It draws reference from the world of sport, comedy, film and even politics.

Its platforms are Q magazine, Radio and Awards. Their audience profile is open minded experience seekers, and they don't define themselves by the music they listen tp. Music is an important passion but their love of music will never be the detriment of their other passions, such as film, sport and comedy.

An independant distributor is Vice. The audience profile for Vice is very much radicals and people who persieve themselves to have a different image and different style of music. The brand identity is very unique and unlike other magazines. The pictures used are extremely arty and creative and quite funky and unusual. Your typical person wouldn't read this magazine as it wouldn't appeal to them as its quite a quirky magazine, touching on some unusual topics and containing strange and bizzare images.

This is the page that comes up when you click on the birmingham link. This shows you the stores where you can find Vice. These stores are Urban Outfitters, Size, Studio 4, Retro Bizzare and Tempest. These are all small outlets and independant shops. Vice has a totally different disrtubution stratergy to other mainstream compaines such as Frontline. They targett the smaller and independant shops so they can find and reach their target audience who you would find in these shops.

Because my audience I aim to target are radicals and people who have a different taste and style in music to the main stream music I think that it would be best for me distribute my magazine through an independant distributor. I think that because my audience means that i wouldd be better distributing my magazine.

Also their main passion will have to be music so selling my magazine in dedicated music shops may be good. Also I could distribute my magazine at festivals all over the UK.