Saturday 8 October 2011

CPI finally imploding?

Rumours started to circulate yesterday that long-term editorial director at CPI, Dave Reeder, is on his way out from Dominic D'Souza's zoo. If true, it's perhaps not too surprising as CPI seems to have given up on creating new and original ideas and instead copy ITP.

I've been told that Reeder has made comments on his Facebook page but I can't verify that.

Anyone who has more information on this, comment below.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Imploding? Are you having a laugh? they are expanding at a huge rate!

Anonymous said...

Is the zoo part true, I was told that cpi owner has a mini zoo- a collection of exotic animals in his villa- endangered species any one heard of it?

Anonymous said...

Within the media agencies we call them (CPI) as cowboys!!! so no surprise there.

Anonymous said...

Anyone seen this - pretty funny stuff
www.thedubaidaily.ae

Anonymous said...

Exactly. CPI has been steadily expanding these last few years, even during the recession when ITP fired dunno how many people overnight. Imploding? Seriously! 

As for copying ITP. Yeah they both publish magazines, and run online and events off those magazines. That's about where the similarity ends. CPI will always be CPI and thank god for that!

Oh and Reeder has gone to town spreading poisonous stories, but CPI has the decency to not mud sling - yeah it didn't work out (and the real reasons are not what Reeder claims). There are always two sides to a story and the one who squeals the loudest isn't always right. The man doth protest too much! ;)

Yes some of the old timers left or were asked to leave CPI. But most have stayed and many more have joined the "zoo". So surely it's not as bad as they make it out to be. Sour grapes, maybe? 

Anonymous said...

Zoo? Cowboys? Sounds like a fun place to work!

Anonymous said...

Cowboys!!!!!! Yeah because they don't pay you, your dirty AVR's. The CLIENT is KING...... Ban the stupid agencies.

Anonymous said...

I would say that CPI have grown since the recesssion wheras ITP has shrunk. Most of their staff are ex ITP now and rumours are that they are paying bigger wages. Maybe this is down to their lower operating costs (small offices, much smaller management team, smaller circulations etc) What they have in their favour now is experience and if they can offer higher salaries, maybe others will be tempted to leave...

Once the joke publishers in town, I think they have come a long way in last two years...

Anonymous said...

I haven't been paid by a company in Dubai who have printed my material (having told me it had been dropped). Any recourse for such companies in the absence of an NUJ?

Anonymous said...

CPI have poached a lot of ITP staff in the last year.....

Anonymous said...

Graveyard for all ITP rejects.... but the amount ITP fire each month I am not surprised.

Anonymous said...

Judging by the number of people who have left ITP to go to CPI recently (both editorial and sales) I'd say that CPI are probably expanding.

They're about to launch a website for women (apparently) too, which suggests things are OK there.

ITP are cutting costs right now - budgets slashed on mags and staff laid off as well as not replacing staff who leave. But that's been policy on mags like Time Out for years now.

The start of 2012 is likely to see another huge financial crash though, so it remains to be seen how CPI's expansion will cope compared to ITP's policy of battening down the hatches early.

Also, have you seen Motivate's Open Skies mag recently? I'm not the biggest fan of the editor but it's looking like a mag I'd actually want to read. Congrats to Emirates for letting him do it.

Anonymous said...

....much nicer building than CPI as well!!! Much more top heavy too.....

Anonymous said...

Nicer buildings and a well-stocked pantry don't really make up for the top heavy, factory line that is ITP. At CPI everyone has a voice, a face, a name, direct access to the publisher Dom, and many have shares in the company too...including editorial staff. Not too bad, hmm!

Btw last I heard Reeder had been set up with his own comfy li'l publishing sub unit to do as he pleases...he was definitely not cast out penniless, and he was there celebrating with the entire CPI staff at Dom's surprise birthday party. A bit two-faced, right, after his public bitching and poisonous rants. Shows you who really messed up, and who is the bigger person here.

Anonymous said...

Looks like they are in fact imploding. CPI is shutting down PC World, Mac World and Game World... again!

Anonymous said...

ITP should invest more on human capital, less on beautification of the building and stop losing staff to smaller publishers who pay more. its embarassing!

Anonymous said...

I haven't been paid by a company in Dubai who have printed my material

Anonymous said...

ahlan looking for a new editor already. last one only joined months ago. did he get outed/promoted/fired?

Anonymous said...

Having worked at Dabbagh, ITP and CPI (all a long time ago) I can honestly say that the 'zoo' was by far the most enjoyable place to work (the mini-zoo at Dom's villa is true). Dom is great fun and open to ideas and suggestions. It's s different story with Serafin and the crooks at ITP. Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

I just heard a story that a Dubai-based publishing chief has been caught by his fiance with a 'lady of the night' following a night out in London at a posh hotel.

The fiance herself is a partner in the publishing business, so my guess is that their little cross-platform empire could become a bit of a soap opera over the next few months.

I wonder who will take which titles, or whether a couple may even be sold off as a consequence?

Anonymous said...

What's been happening since new Year in ITP ? CPI still copying ITP market leaders? (and doing them badly)