As the weeks go by, further evidence continues to emerge that confirms my belief that the horticulture print business is in sharp decline.
Dawson Holdings, which handles the distribution of printed media around the UK, says that it expects the Telegraph Media Group to terminate its contract this autumn.
The Bauer Media and Haymarket Publishing (Hort Week is part of Haymarket) partnership Frontline has already announced that it will not be renewing its arrangement with Dawson.
In the 2007 statement, Haymarket Chairman, Michael Hesteltine raised some cautionary points for the 2008/2009 outlook:
"There is no alternative but a note of caution as we look at the current year and 2009. Trading conditions are tightening in many fields.
"Serious increase in costs and reduced consumer demand urge caution, but caution is difficult to reconcile with the challenges presented by the structural changes through which the media industry is passing.
"Traditional markets are shifting online and survival for many requires agility to offer new technology opportunities as the old ones decline".
Haymarket makes it clear that they see a shift to on-line and record thirteen percent of its profits come through its Internet activities and £1.3 million of investment into digital media (2007) but, with turnover only rising (in 2007) by one percent, one wonders, especially with the level of acquisitions, what decline there might have been in the traditional side of the business?
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