Hong Kong, March 4, 2004 – SCMP.com, the Internet edition of the South China Morning Post has launched an exciting Q&A session On the Spot which lets readers interact live online with top columnists.

As part of its second subscription renewals campaign, SCMP.com this month launched four new products including On the Spot so readers can look forward to getting more out of SCMP.com, their online and print communities.

On the Spot gives readers a chance to have their say and join in lively debate on whatever concerns them. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 to 11.30am, opinionated Post writers will field questions live and on the spot. The initial line up includes popular business columnist Jake van der Kamp, veteran journalist Kevin Sinclair and Technology editor Neil Taylor. "On the Spot offers a far more integrated approach with the paper and website. We feel that our on and offline products are complimentary and so our promotion is structured to reflect that. You read Jake’s column in the paper, and then you can go online to discuss it with him. Depending on what you want from an SCMP product, you have the timeliness and interaction online, or the analysis and commentary in print" said Amanda Turnbull, the Post’s Director of Marketing and Communications. Readers can look forward to an extensive line up of Post writers and contributors in the coming year.

Other new features are:

Tomorrow’s News – An SMS alert service delivering advance news headlines direct to subscribers’ mobile phones so they can stay ahead of the press

Timely TV Guide – A searchable interactive guide to Hong Kong TV programmes, including highlights and critics’ reviews, compiled and updated daily.

Health and Fitness E-newsletter – A weekly e-newsletter to help readers keep abreast of all the developments in the search for healthy living with links to articles on conventional and not so conventional solutions.

Christopher Axberg, SCMP.com Publisher said, "We want to change the way people interact with the news and provide them with useful information and tools relevant to live their lives. On the Spot will get readers involved and give our writers a platform to connect and interact with them. We want to turn it into a virtual auditorium for great debate."

SCMP.com was one of the first newspaper sites in Asia to make the pioneering move to switch from a free service to a full subscription-based model in February 2002. The move has been extremely positive with the site generating over 20,000 subscribers. Last February, as part of its renewals campaign, SCMP.com threw open its site for free so that non-subscribers could visit the site and the new attractions since it moved to paid subscription. New additions to the site last year included a Greater China newspaper digest, Talkback, a have-your-say forum and an expanded Greater China map.

This year the site has increased its price to HK$399 (US$51.50) for an annual subscription. Axberg said he was confident that the new subscription price would not deter readers, "Readers realise the value of paying for high-quality content and services. The price is not that expensive, and globally, consumers are warming to the notion of paying for online content". Existing subscribers can renew in the coming year at the old price of HK$249 (US$32).

The campaign is part of SCMP.com’s continual effort to grow its product and provide a useful service for its users. Mr Axberg was extremely positive that the campaign would be a success and would achieve its objective of achieving a 65% renewal rate for 1st year renewals and 80% for second year renewals.

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About SCMP.com

SCMP.com is the Internet edition of the South China Morning Post, Asia’s most respected source of English language news for almost 100 years. SCMP.com leverages the superior content of the South China Morning Post and offers unrivalled and independent local news coverage plus in-depth analysis of Greater China, regular updates throughout the day, e-newsletters, news on PDA, special reports and 10 free articles from the SCMP archive for an annual fee of HK$399 (US$51.50). In February 2002, SCMP.com went from being a free service to a subscription-based service. The site has over 20,000 paid subscribers and delivers over 25 million pageviews a month.

For further information, please contact:

Sharon Galistan
Manager, Marketing and Communications, SCMP.com
Tel: (852) 2250 3128
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: sharon.galistan@scmp.com

Hong Kong, February 19, 2004 – The South China Morning Post Fund Manager of the Year Awards 2003 today acknowledged the top performing funds and their respective fund managers, covering different global markets and all asset classes.

The investment funds award was organised by the South China Morning Post in association with Standard & Poor’s Fund Services and sponsored by Peace Mark (Holdings) Limited.

In the leading group awards, which evaluate the overall performance of fund management groups, Threadneedle Asset Management Limited took the honour for the 3-year category, while the 5-year and 10-year group awards were won by JF Asset Management.

Among the other awards, from a pool of more than 1,800 retail market-oriented funds registered for sales, 72 winners were recognised from a total of 31 sectors.

Financial Secretary, the Honorable Mr. Henry Tang, was the guest of honour at the Awards presentation ceremony and presented the award certificates to the major winners.

South China Morning Post Group Editor-in-Chief Mr. David Armstrong said, "Hong Kong’s fund market is relatively under-developed. Therefore, investor education must be enhanced to change Hong Kong people’s investing culture. Being a leading newspaper in Hong Kong, we believe the South China Morning Post, through its Business section, is an effective tool to assist industry players to achieve this goal."

Standard & Poor’s Investment Services for Asia-Pacific, Managing Director Mr. William J. Reidy commented, "With more than 1,800 funds registered for sale in the market, the unit trust industry in Hong Kong has shown significant growth over the past few years. This growth will be further fueled by the current low-interest rate environment, which will inevitably lead investors to seek investment products that will deliver higher returns at a sustained risk level. With this increasingly vast universe of funds for investors to choose from, it is now more critical than ever for there to be an objective and independent benchmark for gauging funds’ performance, a need that Standard & Poor’s and our partner SCMP believe can be filled with the Fund Manager of the Year Award."

The South China Morning Post Fund Manager of the Year 2003 was assessed using a methodology known as Relative Risk-Adjusted Ratio as was the case last year. This calculation evaluates the performance of a fund and the consistency of that performance relative to other funds in its peer group sector. Three time periods, namely three years, five years and ten years, were analysed for this year’s Awards.

 

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About South China Morning Post Publishers Limited

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited publishes the South China Morning Post and the Sunday Morning Post, the premier English language daily and Sunday newspapers with the highest circulation and readership of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post, with its first edition published in 1903, is a leading commentator on Greater China and is read widely by government officials, business people, professionals and academics. It is also the market leader for display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Through its subscription-based online service, SCMP.com, a global audience is offered access to unrivalled, independent, local news coverage and in-depth analysis of Greater China. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited whose shares are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

Contact:

Prudence Lai
Corporate Communications Manager
South China Morning Post
Tel: (852) 2565 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: communications@scmp.com

Hong Kong, February 3, 2004 – The South China Morning Post announced the appointment of Fanny Fung as Deputy Editor, with the responsibility for the newspaper as a whole, effective from today. She will be largely responsible for the daily newspaper operations while simultaneously driving news coverage, and leaving David Armstrong, Group Editor-in-Chief, to focus more closely on the editorial strategy and direction for the newspaper.

Ms Fung who is a highly experienced English-language journalist, has a track record in both print and electronic media. Prior to joining the South China Morning Post, she was a deputy editor of The Standard.

CK Lau, formerly Executive Editor, News will take up a new senior writing role as Executive Editor, Policy. He is an experienced writer in the public policy field and with his additional international exposure, will help the South China Morning Post carry out its role as the leading newspaper for policy discussion and debate.

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About South China Morning Post Publishers Limited

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited publishes the South China Morning Post and the Sunday Morning Post, the premier English language daily and Sunday newspapers with the highest circulation and readership of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post, with its first edition published in 1903, is a leading commentator on Greater China and is read widely by government officials, business people, professionals and academics. It is also the market leader for display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Through its subscription-based online service, SCMP.com, a global audience is offered access to unrivalled, independent, local news coverage and in-depth analysis of Greater China. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited whose shares are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

For media enquiry, please contact:

Prudence Lai
Marketing and Communications Manager
South China Morning Post Publishers Limited
Tel: (852) 2565 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: communications@scmp.com

Hong Kong, December 9th, 2005 – The South China Morning Post today announced the launch of a new monthly glossy lifestyle magazine to debut on January 6, 2006. STYLE will be distributed free with the South China Morning Post on the first Friday of every month.

“At a stroke we’ll be creating the biggest circulating upscale glossy in Hong Kong,” (Jan-June 2005 ABC 103,964) says Amanda Turnbull, SCMP’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “From an advertisers’ perspective STYLE’s high quality glossy paper stock, glorious colour treatment and month-long shelf-life will provide stand-out advertising opportunities.”

Produced by the team behind the award-winning Post Magazine, STYLE is the savvy consumers’ guide to the finer things in life. “Each mouth-watering issue will have personality columns, the latest news and the hottest must-haves, plus a selection of profiles and exclusive feature articles. STYLE promises to be the ultimate guide to good living.” said Desiree Au, STYLE magazine’s editor.

“STYLE aims to capitalize on the ad revenue success that we’ve had with our special reports over the last few years, but with its regular publishing date, we hope to leverage it for circulation gains as well,” said Turnbull.

And she continued, “SCMP readers have high personal and household income and are the biggest credit card spenders of all daily newspaper readers in Hong Kong. They spend on dining, travel, clothing, entertainment, beauty & health, and personal gadgets. STYLE’s contents will reflect these interests by providing an upscale lifestyle magazine.”

The launch issue in January, titled “The Luxe Life” will encompass all the lifestyle subjects to be featured over the year and set the scene for the next 12 months. Double issues will be produced in March and September, featuring both Men’s and Women’s Fashion, while other months will cover topics including Health and Beauty, Travel, Living, Motoring and Career Women.

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ABOUT SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2005 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included two excellence technical awards in PANPA Awards 2005, six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

For media enquiry, please contact:

Prudence Lai
Marketing and Communications Manager
South China Morning Post
Tel: (852) 2250 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: communications@scmp.com

Hong Kong, October 20, 2005 – SCMP/IFPHK Financial Planner Awards 2005, the first of its kind in the region, today acknowledged the top performing financial planners from the banking, insurance, and the independent financial advisory industry sectors. The award was co-organised by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong (IFPHK).

Three industry winners were Mr. Man Kit, Albert (banking), Mr. Ho Ka Kei (insurance) and Mr. Lo Kam Cheung, Enoch (independent financial advisory). The Award of the Year 2005 went to Mr. Lo Kam Cheung, Enoch.

Executive Director of Securities and Futures Commission Mrs. Alexa Lam was the guest of honour at the Awards presentation ceremony and delivered a speech on industry related topics.

Business Editor of SCMP, Mr. Simon Pritchard said, “Hong Kong had no objective standard for measuring financial planning contributing to an under-developed industry without firm standards. This reflected a very traditional approach to wealth management emphasising simple stock, cash and property investing. However, in recent years the wider acceptance of managed saving products has increased the need for high quality, objectively-based, advice. For this reason the South China Morning Post feels proud to be associated with these awards which have the capability to significantly change industry practice and adviser behaviour.”

“The SCMP/IFPHK Financial Planner Awards forms a crucial part of our efforts to heighten the level of professionalism in Hong Kong, while raising the public profile of the financial planning community. With its focus on financial planning excellence and standards, the Award will no doubt set a benchmark for the whole industry to follow,” said Ms Angeline Chin, Chief Executive Officer of IFPHK.

The award competition, which commenced on May 5, 2005, attracted over 110 contestants submitting their entries. The contestants were divided based on their industry and experience. Each contestant was asked to provide an actual written financial plan. Contestants, who successfully entered the second round, were required to give oral presentation in the finals. Assessment criteria included presentation and communication skills, understanding of client’s situation, and identification of client’s needs with appropriate recommendations.

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ABOUT SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included two excellence technical awards in PANPA Awards 2005, six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

About IFPHK
IFPHK was established in June 2000 as a non-profit organisation to develop and maintain the high professional standards and self-discipline for providers of financial planning services in Hong Kong. The Institute is authorised by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB) to be the sole licensing body in Hong Kong and Macau that grants the highly-regarded and internationally-recognised CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERCM certification to qualified financial planning professionals.

It represents the financial planning practitioners in Hong Kong with close to 5,500 members from such diverse professional backgrounds as banking, insurance, investment, stockbroking, accounting, and legal services.

For media enquiry, please contact:
Prudence Lai
Marketing and Communications Manager
South China Morning Post
Tel: (852) 2250 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: communications@scmp.com

(Hong Kong, September 28, 2005) SCMP.com, the Internet edition of Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper – South China Morning Post, has taken digital marketing to a new level by combining the MP3 player platform with podcasting, to promote the launch of its new products and services.

SCMP.com is distributing 100 MP3 players through a partnership with Creative Labs to some of Hong Kong’s top executives in the media and advertising industry, as part of its "Hear All About It" promotion.

SCMP.com publisher Christopher Axberg said, "This promotion clearly demonstrates our commitment to innovative digital marketing, by providing unique opportunities for advertisers and partners to deliver their message across emerging digital platforms."

This month, SCMP.com debuts the following websites:

• SCMP Media Post, featuring views of media and advertising professionals
• SCMP Podcasts on the latest trends in business, technology and lifestyle
• SCMP Greater China Outlook, daily news summaries of SCMP stories in Traditional and Simplified Chinese
• Destination China featuring the best in business travel
• Cartoon Caption Contest, offering subscribers the opportunity to win fabulous prizes.

Axberg continued, "We’re very excited about what’s going on with SCMP.com and its new products and services. With SCMP Media Post we’re targeting a defined, advertising and media buying market, and our simplified Chinese-language content will target the mainland China market."

What is unique about the "Hear All About It" promotion is the tying together of the MP3 digital content distribution platform with podcasting to inform media buyers and advertisers of SCMP.com’s new products and services.

"Our advertisers have asked us to bring them a high-end, affluent audience interested in purchasing and interacting with digital media. The successes we’ve had with our marketers in being able to do advertising and direct marketing toward this audience has been quite powerful," said Axberg.

In addition to the 100 MP3 players that are being distributed, local media and advertising representatives will be invited to register for a complimentary trial of SCMP.com until the end of the year.

About the South China Morning Post

The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included two excellence technical awards in PANPA Awards 2005, six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

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For media enquiry, please contact:

Amanda Turnbull
Director
Marketing and Communications
South China Morning Post
Tel: (852) 2250 3130
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: amanda.turnbull@scmp.com

Highlights

• Turnover: HK$536.5 million
• Recurring operating profit: HK$138.7 million
• Operating profit: HK$141.3 million
• Net profit: HK$112.3 million
• Earnings per share: HK$0.072
• Dividend: HK$0.05

(Hong Kong, September 13, 2005) – SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) ("the Group") announced today its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2005.

Profit attributable to shareholders was $112.3 million or $0.072 per share on turnover of $536.5 million. Earnings growth in the Newspaper and Magazine Divisions was offset by reduced contributions from other businesses.

Operating costs and expenses increased 9% because of higher newsprint expense, advertising and promotion spending, and staff cost. Production costs rose 20% mainly due to a 21% increase in average newsprint cost from US$452 to US$545 per metric ton. Newsprint consumption increased by 3% as a result of higher advertising volume, which was partly offset by production efficiencies.

The Board of Directors declared an interim dividend of HK$0.05 per share.

The Newspaper Division reported a profit of $108.5 million in the first half compared with $95.8 in the same period last year. Revenues grew 9% on satisfactory growth in ad revenues. Circulation of the South China Morning Post and Sunday Morning Post grew 3% to 103,000 and 80,900, respectively based on unaudited figures for the first half of 2005. Display and recruitment ad revenues increased 13% and 14%, respectively. Results announcements accounted for 4% of total newspaper revenue and 5% of total ad revenue in the first half of 2005.

Capital expenditures were $56.9 million, of which $49.9 million was invested in new printing presses. The new presses will be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2005. The total cost of the new presses is $94.5 million.

The second half is likely to see a pick-up in advertising demand driven by continued consumer spending and low unemployment levels. The Group is well-placed to benefit from this favourable business environment.

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About SCMP Group Limited

SCMP Group Limited is the holding company of South China Morning Post Publishers Limited and other subsidiaries engaged mainly in newspaper and magazine publishing. South China Morning Post, its flagship publication, is the leading English language newspaper in Hong Kong with a circulation of 103,000 and the most affluent and influential readership. SCMP Group also publishes Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, CosmoGirl! and Maxim for the Hong Kong market.

This press release can be downloaded from www.scmpgroup.com.

For media enquiry, please contact:

Prudence Lai
Manager
Marketing and Communications
SCMP Group Limited
Tel: (852) 2565 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: communications@scmp.com

(Hong Kong, August 15, 2005) SCMP.com, the Internet edition of Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper – South China Morning Post, will be providing exclusive English language news content podcasts to Apple Computer as it launches the region’s first-ever dedicated Podcasting site.

SCMP.com publisher Christopher Axberg said, "We are happy to partner with Apple Computer and believe that Podcasting is an effective and fresh way to reach our online readers and customers. SCMP.com is very interested in the prospects for expanding our programming beyond digital text and utilizing more of what the internet is bringing to its users – timely information in a flexible environment."

SCMP.com’s Podcast Section features downloadable audio reports and one-on-one interviews with leading decision makers and innovators in business, technology and the consumer electronics industry. Highlights of recent content include Dell chief executive Kevin Rollins’ first ever Podcast interview about Dell’s China investment and sales strategy, Chief business reporter and White Collar columnist Enoch Yiu’s interview with Executive Council member Bernard Chan Charnwut, and Lai See columnist Ben Kwok’s discussion with Marek Boguszewicz, professional kickboxer and trading floor support manager for ABN Amro.

SCMP Technology Post editor Michael Logan said, "Podcasting is the beginning of something far larger, something many in the technology and media industries have been waiting to occur since the World Wide Web’s dawn 10 years ago. Simply put, it is the convergence of text, audio and video around a single distribution channel — the Internet."

He continued, "Podcasting is very exciting for the SCMP, because it gives us a new way to reach our audience, allowing readers to hear directly from the news sources in their own voices. What’s more, podcasts are as portable as the traditional newspaper. You can listen to them on your desktop and take them on the go with your MP3 player."

All SCMP.com Podcasts are being made available for free public access and downloading until September 30, 2005 via Apple’s iTunes and from SCMP.com at http://podcasting.scmp.com

What is a "Podcast"?
A simple yet sophisticated transfer of audio content over the Internet. It allows audio files to be shared around the world with very little effort. Podcasts are typically MP3 audio files available for downloading onto computers and transferable to any portable digital-media device that can play MP3 files.

About the South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters, podcasts and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included two excellence technical awards in the PANPA Awards 2005, six awards in the 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards at SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Amanda Turnbull
Director
Marketing and Communications
South China Morning Post
Tel: (852) 2250 3130
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: amanda.turnbull@scmp.com

August 11, 2005, Hong Kong – The South China Morning Post last night won special praise for its outstanding Asian Tsunami coverage at the annual awards of the Asia-Pacific region’s premier newspaper organisation.

The paper’s entry was singled out for commendation in the Newspaper of the Year competition at the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association (PANPA) annual awards, and it was also judged a "clear" winner in both of the awards’ technical categories for excellence in printing and picture reproduction.

PANPA is the biggest industry association for Asia-Pacific newspapers, and with a membership of nearly 200 newspaper groups across 18 countries it takes in every major title in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

The annual awards, the most fiercely contested in Asia, were presented last night in an Oscar-style ceremony on the final evening of the PANPA Annual Conference, which ran from August 8-10 in the northern Australian tourism centre of Cairns.

The South China Morning Post‘s entry in the over-50,000 circulation category of the Norske Skog Newspaper of The Year competition highlighted its news reporting in the aftermath of last December’s devastating Asian Tsunami, its Operation Santa Claus charity effort, which raised nearly $10 million for tsunami victims in just a fortnight, and the special series "Asian Tsunami: Recovery and Rediscovery", reviewing progress of relief efforts 100 days after the disaster.

The entry was alone in being highly commended by the judges following the award to the overall winner, Melbourne’s Herald Sun, one of Australia’s biggest and most successful tabloid papers.

For technical printing quality, meanwhile, the PANPA judges were unambiguous in saying that the South China Morning Post was unrivalled. "There was no contest: the South China Morning Post was clearly superior to all other entries," they said.

This is the second year in a row the paper has won the overall printing award in its category, the Award for Technical Excellence in a Newspaper Printed on a Double-Width Press up to Four Webs. It is also the fifth time in six years it has won the Award for Technical Excellence for Pre-Print/Supplement Printed on a Double-Width Press. It was also the winner in 2000 (the first year of the category award), 2001, 2003 and 2004.

David Armstrong, the South China Morning Post‘s Director, Editorial, hailed the awards. "Our success underlines both our commitment to quality journalism for the community we serve and our superlative printing standards," he said.

"The entry we submitted for Newspaper of the Year was recognised as outstanding for its depth of coverage and the contribution we were able to make in helping to harness Hong Kong’s generosity for victims and those affected by the Asian Tsunami. It is also, therefore, a tribute to our readers’ response, and a source of great pride that we continue to be able to make a difference in our community.

"The two technical award wins also cement our unrivalled reputation for printing quality, and continue our tradition of leading the field in a relentlessly competitive newspaper market.

"All in all, the awards highlight the Post‘s position as an all-round market-leader and one of the best newspapers in Asia."

The awards continue a hugely successful year for the South China Morning Post, with its reputation for editorial excellence recognized over the past six months with a long list of awards, including:

• One category win and five merits in the 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards
  
• Five category wins for excellence and two honourable mentions from the Society of Publishers in Asia Editorial Awards 2005
  
• Two top design awards in the IFRA Asia Media Awards 2005, and two in the Society for News Design’s 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition
  
• 12 winners and runners-up for journalism and photography at the Hong Kong News Awards 2004
  

The South China Morning Post is Hong Kong’s leading English-language daily newspaper. It is the only English-language newspaper officially audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Its circulation from January to June 2005 was 101,872.

The Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association is an industry association, founded in 1969, representing newspapers in the Asia-Pacific region. A not-for-profit organisation, PANPA seeks to connect its members with the world’s best industry practice and to promote awareness and understanding of newspapers within the community. It acts as an information exchange for the newspaper industry through a regular magazine, specialist workshops and seminars covering all aspects of the newspaper industry, and the Annual Conference.

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For media enquiry, please contact:

Prudence Lai
Manager, Marketing and Communications
South China Morning Post Publishers Limited
Tel: (852) 2565 2415
Fax: (852) 2565 2429
Email: pruence.lai@scmp.com

About the South China Morning Post

The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included two excellence technical awards in PANPA Awards 2005, six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

South China Morning Post will launch two new regular supplements this autumn. Footy, a weekly supplement will kick off on August 13 to coincide with the start of the English Premiere League season and China Business, a monthly supplement to the Business section, will be launched on September 5.

Commenting on these developments, Managing Director Nancy Valiente said, "We work continuously to provide news, analysis and features that are of great value and interest to our readers. 70% of our readers read our China news coverage regularly and 38% of our readers are avid sports fans. We’re building on these strong interests with these new supplements."

Footy, the first of the two to debut, will be edited by Deputy Sports Editor Donal Sculley. He expects the new product to set his readers up perfectly for the weekend’s games in England and beyond. "Footy is packed with match previews, statistics and behind-the-scenes gossip," he says, "It also boasts two world-famous football columnists in John Dykes and Nick Pulford who will ensure that whether you’re a partisan fan or an armchair critic you’re never at a loss for insightful tips and expert analysis."

To top off the Footy launch, SCMP.com will simultaneously launch an online fantasy football competition. SCMP.com readers can become virtual team managers with a £100 million budget and stand to win fabulous monthly prizes. At the end of the season, the overall winner will receive a free return ticket to London to watch an EPL match live.

Meanwhile, China Business will focus each month on a specific sector, with the first issue covering the telecommunications industry. China Business Editor, Elaine Chan describes the supplement as giving "an Asian perspective of China and the cultural climate that affects the way business is done".

SCMP sees a need in the market for in-depth analysis, different perspectives, and thought-provoking treatment of current business issues in China. "Unlike other business publications who re-purpose editorial content or use wire stories, our content will be 100% original, written by 24 journalists based in our three China bureaus", says Chan. "We will provide customized ‘news you can use’ to give our China business readers ‘hands-on’ information which they can convert into a competitive advantage."

About the South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post is Asia’s premier English language daily with the highest circulation of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. With 100 years of history, the South China Morning Post is widely read by affluent and well-educated decision makers, managers and executives in Hong Kong. According to the AC Nielsen 2004 Media Index Report, it has 96% of the English language newspaper readership in Hong Kong. It is also the market leader in display and recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Its subscription-based Internet edition, SCMP.com offers global access to the editorial content of the newspaper, breaking news updates throughout the day, e-newsletters and news on PDA.

The South China Morning Post receives constant recognition for its editorial and technical capability. Awards recently won included six awards in 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, five excellence editorial awards in SOPA 2005, two design awards in the IFRA 2005, two design awards from 26th Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and Hong Kong News Awards 2004 including for Best News Writing and Best Business News Writing.

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited. SCMP Group is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

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For further information please contact

(English press)
Amanda Turnbull
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 2250 3130
Email: amanda.turnbull@scmp.com

(Chinese press)
Prudence Lai
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 2565 2415
Email: pruence.lai@scmp.com