HK Magazine
Encyclopedia
HK Magazine is a free-distributed English language city-living magazine. It is a Hong Kong
-based English-language weekly published by Asia City Publishing Limited. Premiering in 1991, it targets young metropolitans. It offers discussions on social issues as well as entertainment listings. New issues are distributed every Friday; piles of copies are a common sight. The 600th issue was published on 11 November 2005.
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 claimed 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. Currently, the claimed circulation is 100,000.
Last 27 March 2009 the magazine allowed the publication of an article from Chip Tsao
. His article "War at Home" that appeared on this magazine claims that the Philippines is a nation of servants and claiming that China is the Master. This has triggered a massive outcry from the Filipino community in Hongkong & in the Philippines. On 30 March 2009, Tsao already made a public apology.
In July 2006 HK Magazine claimed it increased its circulation to 100,000 copies per week.
According to a survey conducted by HK Magazine in 2004, 87% of the readers are holders of at least one university degree and 75% earn more than HK$30,000 per month. (Source: HK Magazine 2004 Readership Survey, HK Magazine 2004 Distribution Survey).
Letters:Letters from readers. 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:
First person:Interviews with celebrities and politicians.
Black + White:Attached as a separate booklet, containing classified advertisements and a 'Q & A section'.
In every issue:Comics The Perry Bible Fellowship
, Tom the dancing bug
and Red Meat
, astrology, column Savage Love
, and short paragraphs about significant cultural events.
and Hong Kong, based on anonymous reviews, of about 90 pages.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based English-language weekly published by Asia City Publishing Limited. Premiering in 1991, it targets young metropolitans. It offers discussions on social issues as well as entertainment listings. New issues are distributed every Friday; piles of copies are a common sight. The 600th issue was published on 11 November 2005.
History
The founders of HK Magazine are Greg Duncan, Stephen Freeman and Gretchen Worth. In 1989, considering Hong Kong a suitable place to start a 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 claimed 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. Currently, the claimed circulation is 100,000.
Last 27 March 2009 the magazine allowed the publication of an article from Chip Tsao
To Kit
Chip Tsao , also known by his pen name To Kit and epithet First Wit of Hong Kong, is a multilingual Hong Kong-based columnist, broadcaster, and writer. He is well-known for his sarcasm and wry sense of humour....
. His article "War at Home" that appeared on this magazine claims that the Philippines is a nation of servants and claiming that China is the Master. This has triggered a massive outcry from the Filipino community in Hongkong & in the Philippines. On 30 March 2009, Tsao already made a public apology.
Distribution
The magazine, which is audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, is free at around 900 venues including restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bookshops and retail stores. The distribution outlets are mostly concentrated in commercial business districts.In July 2006 HK Magazine claimed it increased its circulation to 100,000 copies per week.
Readership
The magazine claims around 236,000 readers per week.According to a survey conducted by HK Magazine in 2004, 87% of the readers are holders of at least one university degree and 75% earn more than HK$30,000 per month. (Source: HK Magazine 2004 Readership Survey, HK Magazine 2004 Distribution Survey).
Contents
HK Magazine usually contains features about social issues, and articles about music, movies, fashion, dining and travel, etc. --> The main sections that appear regularly in the magazine are:Letters:Letters from readers. 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:
- Nightlife: List of clubs and bars in alphabetical order.
- Art: Galleries and shows in Hong Kong.
- Stage : Concerts or dances.
- Sport: "Spectator Sports" and "Get Physical".
- Stuff: Classes, seminars and workshops.
- 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 classified advertisements and a 'Q & A section'.
In every issue:Comics The Perry Bible Fellowship
The Perry Bible Fellowship
The Perry Bible Fellowship is a newspaper comic strip and webcomic by Nicholas Gurewitch. It originated in the Syracuse University newspaper The Daily Orange. The comics are usually three or four panels long, and are generally characterized by the juxtaposition of whimsical childlike imagery or...
, Tom the dancing bug
Tom the Dancing Bug
Tom the Dancing Bug is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Ruben Bolling that covers current events from a liberal point of view. The strip appears in mainstream and alternative weekly newspapers, as well as on the Boing Boing website. Tom the Dancing Bug won...
and Red Meat
Red Meat
Max Cannon's Red Meat is an independent comic strip begun in 1989. It appears in over 75 alternative weeklies and college papers in the United States and in other countries. Since 1996, it has been available for reading on the web.- Style :...
, astrology, column Savage Love
Savage Love
Savage Love is a syndicated sex-advice column by Dan Savage. The column appears weekly in several dozen newspapers, mainly free newspapers in the US and Canada, but also newspapers in Europe and Asia...
, and short paragraphs about significant cultural events.
Restaurant Guide
In March each year, HK Magazine includes an inserted guide to restaurants in MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and Hong Kong, based on anonymous reviews, of about 90 pages.
Nightlife Guide
An annual publication with information about bars and discos around Hong Kong with short descriptions.Other services
HK Magazine collaborates with "Relationship Network", an online personal network, to provide online meeting services and personal ads.See also
- Media in Hong Kong
- List of magazines in Hong Kong