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Lonely Planet Magazine will be published in France from March 2010, under licence from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines to Paperbox.

This will be the third international edition of Lonely Planet Magazine since the title launched in the UK in December 2008. The deal also marks the first partnership between Paperbox and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines.

The first edition of Lonely Planet Magazine France will go on sale on 3 March 2010. It will have print run of 80,000 and a cover price of €4,90.

James Hewes, head of international development, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines, said: "We are delighted to have agreed this deal with Paperbox, which is particularly significant as it marks the first European licence for Lonely Planet Magazine since its UK launch in 2008."

Muriel Tallandier, Executive Director of Paperbox said: "We really enjoy ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines and we are very proud to be the publisher of Lonely Planet Magazine in France (and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s first press partner in this territory). The French market has been waiting for a practical and high quality magazine of this kind and it is fantastic to be launching such a respected brand in France."

Lonely Planet Magazine France will be edited by Vincent Rea, who has 13 years' experience in print journalism. He has worked for some of the major media groups in France, including PRISMA / GEO and AIR FRANCE MAGAZINE. He is also a respected travel guide writer, especially for Lonely Planet.

Paperbox publishes a range of books and magazines, with particular focus on titles linked to strong brands and media. It publishes eight magazines, three of which are dedicated to lifestyle issues. All Paperbox titles are distributed by NMPP via 30,000 newsstands across France.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Lonely Planet Magazine launched in the UK in November 2008 and recorded an audited circulation of 45,052 in Jul-Dec 2009. The title combines the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's expertise in quality programming on travel and world cultures with Lonely Planet’s reputation as a leading global travel brand. The title is now licenced in Brazil, and also published in India under a joint venture agreement. More international deals are already in the pipeline.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines publishes over 40 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ consumer titles, including Top Gear, Good Food, Gardeners' World and Radio Times and many children's titles including In the Night Garden, CBeebies Weekly, and Doctor Who Adventures. There are now 44 licensed editions of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines' titles across 55 territories internationally.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Magazines is part of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide Limited, the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ). The company exists to maximise the value of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's assets for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Magazines, Content & Production, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Entertainment, Global Brands and Digital Media. In 2006/07 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide generated profits of £111 million on sales of £810 million.

Sarah Williams-Robbins