Magazine publishing: a quiet life? The Dutch market for consumer magazines

The structure of the publishers' market can be characterised as oligopolistic. The general picture of virtual absence of entry of new publishers, fairly stable market shares of established magazines, and indications of higher than average profit margins, all point at a lack of intense competition. Potential new publishers face at least two major entry barriers: difficult access to both the advertising market and the distribution channels. Policy makers who want to improve the performance on this market, are challenged to find ways of lowering these entry barriers.