It's the first time the media group has reviewed all of its titles in this way, and it is likely to herald a tightening of its roster along with a shift in strategy towards more multi-year contracts.

At present most Emap work is placed on one-year contracts, although it has a three-year arrangement with St Ives that covers a raft of titles.

"From our point of view the time is right. We want to firm things up and have more binding relationships with our suppliers to give security on both sides," explained group production director Andy Franks, who added: "We are prepared to be amazed."

Emap's current print roster spans St Ives, Polestar, Cooper Clegg, Wyndeham, New Jarrold Printing, Southernprint, Headley Brothers, William Gibbons and Peterborough Web.

It's an interesting time for the publishing sector as print capacity has tightened this year, but a raft of new high pagination presses are set to be installed in 2005.

One web offset printer commented: "We view this as an opportunity. We'd like to believe that someone like Emap should be thinking more strategically about what sort of suppliers they want to work with suppliers that will still be around long-term to supply the right level of service and quality."

In parallel the publisher will also look at its pre-press contracts. The six current suppliers are Graphics Kent, Colour Systems, Rival Colour, JJ's, Gildenburgh and Final Repro.

Meanwhile, another big contract review is also currently underway, with IPC expected to complete the review process for 45 of its Southbank and Speciality titles in the next couple of months. St Ives and Polestar currently print the magazines.

[o] St Ives Caerphilly will share the production of Emap weekly Zoo with Cooper Clegg from next month, and is set to take on the entire print run from January. Changes to Zoo's original production schedule meant the magazine no longer fitted in with the workflow at Tewkesbury-based Cooper Clegg.

Story by Jo Francis