Regency Media acquires Five Mile

Former Bonnier Publishing Australia children’s imprint Five Mile has been acquired by local electronic media and distribution business Regency Media.

Under Regency Media ownership, the new iteration of Five Mile will continue under the leadership of former Bonnier Publishing Australia staff, including former CEO Tash Besliev, former publishing director Niki Horin and former sales and marketing director Jade Wood. The team will be joined by Laurance Wilson (sales), Amy Freund (editorial), Andy Warren (design) and James Blackman (production), and based in new offices in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

The publisher commenced trading on 2 July, launching with a list that includes long-standing Five Mile brand partners: The Wiggles, ABC Kids, Octonauts and Miraculous, among others. The publisher said it will also continue its programs with key creators Trace Moroney and Sally Rippin.

Regency Media founder and managing director Fiona Horman said she is excited for the electronic media business to enter Australian publishing ‘at this point’. ‘Having been through similar challenges the industry faces in the home entertainment industry, I hope we can make some significant change in books,’ said Horman.

‘Five Mile is a big part of Australian publishing history,’ said Besliev, ‘and an important part of its future. Publishers like Five Mile are essential to keep our industry connected to all audiences. Our commitment to publishing relevant, accessible and affordable content is unwavering.’

In a statement, Five Mile said it would like to ‘thank retailer partners across the ANZ book industry for their ongoing support’.

As previously reported, former Five Mile owner Bonnier Publishing announced in March it was closing the children’s imprint as part of a restructure of its Australia-based business that saw 35 out of 36 staff made redundant.

Five Mile’s current list will exclude the selected titles Bonnier Publishing sold to Hardie Grant Egmont as part of its restructure.

Bonnier’s Australian adult fiction imprint, Echo Publishing, recently had its titles consolidated under the publisher’s UK imprint Bonnier Zaffre, with Allen & Unwin to handle local sales and distribution. As part of that announcement, former commissioning editor Angela Meyer was promoted to the position of publisher.

Category: Local news