Editing DC Thomson

{{short description|Scottish publishing and television production company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{distinguish|DC Comics|Thomson Corporation}}
{{Infobox company
| name = DC Thomson & Company Limited
| logo = DC_Thompson_logo.png
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2011
| image_caption = Dundee headquarters at Meadowside
| image = DC Thomson Dundee Meadowside south east face alt (post refurb) (corrected).jpg
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| company_slogan = 
| foundation = {{start date and age|1905}}
| founder = [[David Couper Thomson]]
| location = [[Dundee]], Scotland
| key_people = {{Ubl|
* Christopher HW Thomson (Chairman)
* David Thomson (Director & COO)
* Richard Hall (Director)
}}
| num_employees = {{increase}}2,148 (2016)<ref name="Financials" />
| industry = [[Publishing]]
| products = {{Ubl|
* ''[[Sunday Post]]''
* ''[[Evening Telegraph (Dundee)|The Evening Telegraph]]''
* ''[[My Weekly]]''
* ''[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]]''
* ''[[Shout (Teen Magazine)|Shout]]''
* ''[[The Beano]]''
* ''[[The Dandy]]''
* ''[[Commando Comics|Commando]]''
* <small>See also: [[List of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd publications]]</small>
}}
| revenue = {{increase}}£245 million (2016)<ref name="Financials">{{Cite web |title=D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd. |url=https://www.duedil.com/company/SC005830/d-c-thomson-and-company-limited/financials |access-date=28 October 2016}}</ref>
| operating_income = {{increase}}£30.06 million (2016)<ref name="Financials" />
| assets = {{decrease}}£1.404 billion (2016)<ref name="Financials" />
| divisions = 
| subsid = {{Ubl|
* DC Thomson Media
* DC Thomson Ventures
* Brightsolid, Findmypast
* Beano Studios
* Emanata Studios
* Shortlist Media
* Puzzler Media
* Wild & Wolf
* Pure Radio Scotland
* Fifth Ring
}}
| homepage = {{URL|https://dcthomson.co.uk}}
}}

'''DC Thomson''' is a media company based in [[Dundee]], Scotland. Founded by [[David Couper Thomson]] in 1905, it is best known for publishing ''[[The Courier (Dundee)|The Courier]]'', ''[[Evening Telegraph (Dundee)|The Evening Telegraph]]'' and ''[[The Sunday Post]]'' newspapers, and the comics ''[[Oor Wullie]]'', ''[[The Broons]]'', ''[[The Beano]]'', ''[[The Dandy]]'' and  ''[[Commando (comics)|Commando]]''. It also owns the [[Aberdeen Journals|Aberdeen Journals Group]] which publishes the ''[[Press and Journal (Scotland)|Press and Journal]]''. The company owns several websites, including [[Findmypast]], and owned the now defunct social media site [[Friends Reunited]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=brightsolid acquires Friends Reunited |url=http://www.brightsolid.com/news/top-news/brightsolid-acquires-friends-reunited |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708093806/http://www.brightsolid.com/news/top-news/brightsolid-acquires-friends-reunited |archive-date=2011-07-08 |access-date=2011-02-06 |publisher=Brightsolid.com}}</ref>

==History==
The company began as a branch of the Thomson family business when William Thomson became the sole proprietor of Charles Alexander & Company, publishers of ''Dundee Courier and Daily Argus''. In 1884, [[David Couper Thomson]] took over the publishing business, and established it as D.C. Thomson in 1905. The firm flourished, and took its place as the third J in the "Three Js", the traditional summary of Dundee industry ("[[jute]], jam and [[journalism]]").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victorian Dundee: Jute, Jam & Journalism |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/victorian/trails_victorian_dundee.shtml |access-date=2007-10-02 |website=Scottish History |publisher=BBC}}</ref> 

Thomson was notable for his [[conservatism]], vigorously opposing the introduction of [[trade union]]s into his workforce, and for refusing to employ [[Catholic]]s.<ref name="famous1st">{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer for Scotland: David Couper Thomson |url=http://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst437.html}}</ref> Among historians of popular culture, the firm has "excited a good deal of interest precisely because it has always shrouded its activities in secrecy&nbsp;... [it] has never allowed scholars access to its archives, and has declined to participate in exhibitions of juvenile literature."<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacKenzie |first=John M. |title=Propaganda and Empire: the manipulation of British public opinion, 1880–1960 |date=1984 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=0719018692 |location=Manchester and New York |page=219}}</ref>

By 2010, the company was producing more than 100 million [[comics]], [[magazine]]s, and [[newspaper]]s every year from offices in [[Dundee]], [[Glasgow]], [[Manchester]], and [[London]]. In June 2010, 350 jobs at DC Thomson were made redundant with the closure of the West Ward Printworks in Dundee, along with a section of the Kingsway Print Plant.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 June 2010 |title=Beano publisher DC Thomson to cut 350 jobs |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10278700 |access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref>

Although the principal offices are now located outside Dundee city centre at Kingsway, the Courier Building at Meadowside has been retained as the company headquarters. This 1902 building was designed to resemble an American red stone, steel reinforced office block. When a nine-storey tower extension was added in 1960, the architect T. Lindsay Gray kept the same style.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dundee, 22 Meadowside, Dc Thomson And Co, Courier Building |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/185705/dundee-22-meadowside-dc-thomson-and-co-courier-building |access-date=19 September 2020 |publisher=[[Canmore (database)|Canmore]]}}</ref> The building underwent extensive renovation and reopened to employees in 2017, and is able to accommodate 600 workers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomson |first=David |date=9 May 2017 |title=Photos and video: The Courier goes back home to Meadowside in Dundee |work=[[The Courier (Dundee)|The Courier]] |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/422247/photos-video-courier-goes-back-home-meadowside-dundee-articleisfree/ |access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref>

In 2009 DC Thomson acquired the magazine company This England Publishing, which included ''[[This England (magazine)|This England]]'' magazine and ''Evergreen'' quarterly magazine. In the same year DC Thomson acquired the [[Friends Reunited]] website from ITV for £25.6m, but by 2011 it was valued at £5.2m and was eventually shut down completely in February 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 December 2011 |title=DC Thomson's Friends Reunited continues fall in value |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-16210645 |access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref> In 2013, DC Thomson laid off 46 production staff at its Lang Stracht base in Aberdeen after printing was moved to Dundee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pugh |first=Andrew |date=2013-01-24 |title=46 print jobs under threat at DC Thomson's Aberdeen titles |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/regional-newspapers/46-print-jobs-under-threat-dc-thomsons-aberdeen-titles/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref>

As of 2016, the company posted an increase in pre-tax profits and revenue whilst employing over 2,000 workers. Despite the falling circulation of newspapers and magazines, DC Thomson attributed the rising profits to company-wide cuts to operating costs and good figures in digital revenues and events. The company went on to say that they would continue to branch out their brand into new areas to support the traditional newspaper and magazine divisions.<ref name="Financials" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=7 January 2016 |title=Publisher DC Thomson posts 20% rise in profits |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-35251734 |access-date=28 October 2016}}</ref>

In February 2023, it was announced that several "well-loved" titles would be closed and employees would be made redundant as part of a wider restructuring.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-08 |title=Staff at DC Thomson facing redundancies as titles close |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-64568765 |access-date=2023-02-08}}</ref> On 9 February 2023, it was announced that ''Shout'', ''Living'', ''Platinum Magazine'', ''Evergreen'', ''Animals & You'' and ''Animal Planet'' would be closed with 300 employees being made redundant.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-09 |title=Three hundred jobs to go at publisher DC Thomson |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-64581579 |access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref> In January 2024, the company announced plans to eliminate 55 jobs and shutter four titles: ''This England'', ''My Weekly Pocket Novels'', ''110% Gaming'' and ''Unicorn Universe''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobitt |first=Charlotte |date=2025-01-22 |title=DC Thomson plans to cut 35 jobs and close four magazines |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/dc-thomson-plans-to-cut-35-jobs-and-close-four-magazines/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Subsidiaries==
===Current===
====Brightsolid====
Brightsolid is a data centre and cloud-based hosting company based in [[Dundee]] that DC Thomson established in 1995 as Scotland Online. It became Brightsolid in 2008, organised into two divisions: Brightsolid Online Publishing (BSOP) and Brightsolid Online Technology (BSOT). The two divisions were split into separate businesses in October 2013, and Brightsolid Online Publishing was renamed DC Thomson Family History,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 October 2013 |title=The Future for Family History is Digital |url=http://www.dcthomsonfamilyhistory.com/2013/the-future-for-family-history-is-digital/ |access-date=13 August 2014 |website=DC Thomson Family History}}</ref> with Annelies van den Belt as chief executive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 August 2013 |title=Digital media executive Annelies van den Belt joins in brightsolid reorganisation |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/business/news/digital-media-executive-annelies-van-den-belt-joins-in-brightsolid-reorganisation-1.125467 |access-date=13 August 2014 |website=The Courier}}</ref>

====Findmypast====
Findmypast Limited (formerly DC Thomson Family History, until 2015) owns a variety of large [[genealogy]] sites worldwide, including [[Findmypast]], [[Genes Reunited]]<ref name=BBC_2013/> and [[Mocavo]]. The company had contracts to [[digitise archives]] for the [[Imperial War Museum]] and the [[British Library]], where it was making the [[British Newspaper Archive]] searchable.<ref name=BBC_2013>{{Cite web |date=30 August 2013 |title=Shake-up at online firm brightsolid |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23893114 |access-date=13 August 2014 |website=BBC News}}</ref>

===Former===
{{for|the football player|Peter Haddock}}
DC Thomson once owned [[Bridlington]]-based children's publisher Peter Haddock until they closed it in late 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Tim |title=Books division hits DC Thomson profits |url=https://proquest.com/docview/1473284875 |access-date=2023-05-27 |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |date=2014-01-01 |location=[[Glasgow]] |page=22 |url-access=registration |via=[[ProQuest]]}}</ref><!-- As far as research has proven, 1993 acquisition is mentioned nowhere else but on their official issuu, which qualifies as WP:PRIMARY -->

==Publications==
{{For|a complete list|List of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd publications}}
D.C. Thomson publications include:
*''[[Sunday Post]]''
*''[[The Courier (Dundee)|The Courier]]''
*''[[Evening Telegraph (Dundee)|The Evening Telegraph]]''
*''[[My Weekly]]''
*''[[The Scots Magazine]]''
*''[[The People's Friend]]''
*''[[The Beano]]''
*''[[The Dandy]]''
*''[[Commando Comics|Commando]]''
*''[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]]''
*''[[Shout (magazine)|Shout]]''
*''[[Bunty]]''

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:DC Thomson East Kingsway offices and printing works.jpg|DC Thomson printing offices on the Kingsway
File:The tower extension to DC Thomson as seen from The Howff, Dundee.jpg|DC Thomson's tower extension from The Howff
DC Thomson Dundee Meadowside north east face (post refurb) (perspective fix).jpg|Meadowside offices from another angle
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[British comics]]
*[[Ellis Watson]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{portal|Companies|Children's literature|Comics}}
* McAleer, Joseph (1992). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEWAQAAIAAJ Popular Reading and Publishing in Britain: 1914–1950]''. Oxford University Press. {{isbn|9780198203292}}. — includes a chapter on D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

==External links==
*{{official website|https://www.dcthomson.co.uk}}

{{DCThomson}}
{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
{{Beano}}
{{GoldenAge}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:D. C. Thomson and Co.}}
[[Category:DC Thomson Comics| ]]
[[Category:1905 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1905]]
[[Category:Companies based in Dundee]]
[[Category:Comic book publishing companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Magazine publishing companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Mass media companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Newspaper companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Book publishing companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Mass media in Dundee]]