Newsweek Enters Licensing Agreement In Pakistan

Newsweek, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO), entered into a licensing agreement for the publication of “Newsweek Pakistan,” a local English-language edition of Newsweek magazine.  The new edition will be published in collaboration with AG Publications Limited, a Pakistani media company owned by the Ahmed family and headquartered in Lahore, Pakistan.  Fasih Ahmed, Managing Director of AG Publications, will become Chief Executive of the venture.  Mr. Ahmed has worked at the Wall Street Journal as the inaugural recipient of the Daniel Pearl Award and was a key contributor to Newsweek.com’s award-winning coverage of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.  AG Chairman, Iqbal Z. Ahmed will be the publisher. 

“Newsweek has had great success in serving the emerging markets with quality home grown content working with local partners who can provide sound editorial and business oversight,” said Fareed Zakaria, Editor of Newsweek International.  “The launch of an edition of Newsweek for the Pakistani market is part of our plan to be in the places that matter.” 

“This agreement builds on Newsweek’s strategy to develop publishing alliances in important markets and follows the launch of Newsweek editions in Russia, Poland and most recently Turkey,” said Rhona Murphy, Publisher and Managing Director of Newsweek International.  “Our Newsweek Asia regional edition has been available in Pakistan for a long time, but this agreement gives us the opportunity to build on our base of followers by providing more Pakistan-specific subject matter.”

The new weekly magazine will have its own staff of Pakistani reporters and editors and will cover the most significant developments in Pakistan and the world.  “The first issue is expected to hit newsstands in the second half of 2010,” said Fasih Ahmed.  “Newsweek Pakistan will be the first licensed international news magazine in Pakistan and will be able to draw upon both its own editorial staff and Newsweek’s international network of correspondents as it looks to bring a fresh perspective to a Pakistani audience.”

Newsweek publishes three English-language international editions; Newsweek Pakistan will be its eighth local edition published under license. Newsweek Nihon Ban, launched in Japanese in 1986, is published in collaboration with Hankyu Corporation of Osaka, Japan.  Newsweek Hankuk Pan, in Korean, has been published under a licensing agreement with Joong-ang Ilbo of Korea, since 1991. In 1996, Newsweek announced the launch of Newsweek en Espanol, a Spanish-language edition.  It is distributed throughout Latin America, and, since January 2004, is published with News for America, LLC of Mexico City.  Newsweek in Arabic, published in Kuwait by Dar Al-Watan Publishing Group, is distributed throughout Persian Gulf countries, the Middle East, North African nations and select cities in Europe and the U.S.  Newsweek in Arabic was launched in June 2000. Newsweek Polska, launched in 2001, is published through a licensing agreement with Axel Springer Polska, and in 2004, Newsweek launched "Russky Newsweek" published in collaboration with Moscow-based Axel Springer Russia.  Newsweek Turkey in Turkish was launched in 2008 in collaboration with The Ciner Media Group.