Magazine mergers and judging the judges

To magland’s big night, the Publishers Australia Excellence Awards, where host Ed Phillips drew a sympathetic laugh with his welcome to the staff of Bauer Media, which has been merging its magazine production teams. Phillips told the audience: “To the teams from Dolly and Cleo – sorry, we didn’t mean to cram you on one table.”

And later in the night, Dr Mumbo thought he might be hearing a subtle hint from Publishers Australia chairman Geoff Hird about recent rival magazine awards that have launched over the last two or three years. He told the audience: “We’re the awards judged by judges,” and then repeated the line twice more. What on earth could he be suggesting about the other contests?