Blue Peter annual to be scrapped amidst plummeting ratings
Long running children’s staple the Blue Peter Annual has been axed following a decline in readership and a loss of interest from retailers.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Matthew Reynolds, sales and licensing manager for Pedigree publishers, said a 2012 edition of the tome would not go into production this year.
Reynolds explained: “We produced the front cover this year, presented it to the trade, but Blue Peter is fighting against up to 200 other brands that retailers select from and it wasn’t seen as being strong enough to be in the top 25 per cent that gets the mass distribution.
"The fact is that it was starting to struggle last year, which probably influenced their decision to back away.’
For 46 years the book has brought fans of the BBC show up to speed with goings on at the show but recently sales have declined from 59,941 in 2007 to just 13,140 in 2011.
Ratings for the TV show itself have also slumped to a 50 year low, falling below 100,000 viewers for the first time.