Fairplaywas a weeklynews magazinedevoted to the internationalmerchant shippingindustry, delivering “content tailored for its core audience of ship owners, managers, operators and charterers. “[1]It was founded by Thomas Hope Robinson in 1883 and remained in continual publication until 2018.[2]From 2011, Fairplay's publishing companyIHS Fairplaywas a division ofIHS Markit.[3]
| Categories | Trade magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Founder | Thomas Hope Robinson |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Final issue | December 6, 2018 |
| Company | IHS Markit |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Based in | Coulsdon |
| Language | English |
| Website | fairplay |
| ISSN | 2514-4057 |
History
editStartup and development
editAfter Thomas Hope Robinson had lost his money at thestock exchangein 1883, he tried a new career as publisher by starting Fairplay weekly with borrowed money. His intention was to “speak out, loud and bold… for the shipowner, as an advocate, not a judge”.[3]In the first issue he wrote: "There is so littleFairplayin the world. If our own efforts succeed, we shall have taken the first steps towards promoting the habit of calling things by their right name and looking at them through uncolouredspectacles."[2]Apart from a brief period in the 1990s, this maxim appeared in every issue. The enterprise was successful and soon increased in size and revenue. The publisher's son Gordon Hope Robinson (died 1953) took over in 1912 and Fairplay remained a family business until 1973.[3]It was then taken over by theFinancial Timesbefore a management buyout, led by John Prime, created Prime Publications in 1978.
Data management
editThe company began publishing directories in the 1960s anddata managementbecame a sector of growing importance, resulting in the 1964 cooperation with International Shipping Information Services, which became FIRS, Fairplay International Research and Statistics.[3]In 1973, the Fairplay company was taken over by theFinancial Timesgroup, before amanagement buy-outin 1978, one of the first in the UK, transferred ownership to Prime Publications.[2]Prime improved the data management sector by storing information indatabasesand started to sell directories onCD-ROMin the 1990s.[3]
Internet age
editFairplay was the first maritime publication to start aninternetandemaildaily news service, in 1996. Its data management activities led to ajoint venturewithLloyd's Registerin 2001, known as Lloyd's Register–Fairplay (LR Fairplay). This new enterprise was then the sole provider ofIMO numbers.The next years saw several acquisitions of other companies and, in 2004, a partnership with HITT of the Netherlands, which created AISLive, abroadcastsystem for tracking vessel movements.Fairplaywas acquired byIHSin 2008, including 50% of LR Fairplay, and the corporation also bought Lloyd's Register's 50% share of that maritime data business in 2009.[3]
Final years
editIn 2011, the Fairplay publication company was renamed IHS Fairplay.[3]It produced the weekly magazine in print, a digital edition, a daily email newsletter, and the monthly magazineSolutions.[1]Fairplay's website also provided up-to-date news and information for registered users and subscribers.[4]The organisation was then based inCoulsdon,UK,with offices in America, Singapore, Sweden and a network of correspondents worldwide.
In September 2018 it was announced that Fairplay would cease publication by the end of 2018, with the last issue in the first week of December.[5][6]
Editors
editThis sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(July 2024) |
- Thomas Hope Robinson (1883-1912)
- Gordon Hope Robinson (1912-1953)
- WH Wendon (1953-1959)
- John Hearth (1959-1966)
- Dunlop Ewart (1966-1981)
- Michael Grey (1981-1988)[7]
- Chris Hewer (1988-1995)
- Stewart Wade (1995)
- Bruce MacMichael (1995-1996)
- Paul Gunton (1996-2003)
- Patrick Neylan (2003-2008)
- Richard Clayton
- Nicola Good
References
edit- ^ab"About Us About Fairplay".Janes.Retrieved19 August2018.
- ^abcHogben, Rick (1983).A Sharp Lookout.London: Fairplay Publications Ltd. pp. 165, 174.ISBN0905045483.
- ^abcdefgMiller, Greg."History of Fairplay".Fairplay.IHS.Retrieved17 August2018.
- ^"Fairplay".Retrieved17 August2018.
- ^Chambers, Sam (27 September 2018)."Maritime media stalwart Fairplay bows out at 135/".Splash247.Asia Shipping Media.Retrieved27 September2018.
- ^"Fairplay to cease publication".Fairplay.IHS Fairplay. 27 September 2018.Retrieved26 March2023.
- ^Hogben, Rick (1983).A Sharp Look-Out.London: Fairplay Publications.ISBN0905045483.