Just got this email from Damian Butt, MD of Imagine
Hi Rob
Just saw your blog (great name by the way).
To clear up the latest news on Imagine Publishing, we have acquired 24 titles in Bournemouth, which is the entire Highbury Entertainment portfolio. We haven’t bought the company, that’s gone into receivership, but we have bought the titles and the right to publish them. The titles include all the computing titles you mentioned, and also the videogames ones, but of course not Hotdog or Front, which are based in London.
We are now trying to create as many new jobs for the existing employees as we can
Thanks
Damian Butt
Managing Director
So that’s that mystery solved. Without Hotdog and Front in the mix, that’ll leave Imagine far more money to invest in the titles it’s just bought, which clears up that worry.
It’s good to know that Imagine are doing their best to save as many jobs as possible: if you recall, Highbury employees in Bournemouth voted almost unanimously for NUJ recognition recently, they were treated so badly. My hopes are that Imagine proves a better employer for them than Highbury. Since many are being re-interviewed for their jobs, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for them.