Veteran business journalist Alan Kohler is starting a new subscription business and investment title, to launch sometime in July.
The Constant Investor will operate with a four-person staff from a tiny office in Hawthorn.
Kohler has started, and sold, several investment titles in the past. The most well-known were Business Spectator (since absorbed into The Australian‘s general business section) and the subscription investment title Eureka Report — Kohler his co-founders sold both to News Corp for a combined $30 million almost exactly four years ago.
Much of the value of the Business Spectator stable rested in its marquee writers and founders. As part of the sale, Kohler — whose profile extends well beyond finance readers due to his nightly appearances on ABC News — along with his cofounders Robert Gottliebsen and Stephen Bartholomeusz had to remain with News Corp for several years. Kohler’s commitment was for four years and ends at the end of this month.
Kohler has now resigned as an employee of News Corp employee, though he’ll still be around. He told Crikey this morning he’d signed a contract to deliver two columns a week for The Australian. Australian business editor Eric Johnston told Crikey this morning he was “delighted” Kohler would continue to write. “His columns provide powerful insight, credibility and depth,” he said. “Alan is very popular among our readers across our print and digital platforms.” The Australian has big ambitions to take on the Australian Financial Review for Australia’s business readers.
Kohler finishes his commitment with Eureka Report at the end of the month. In March News Corp sold Eureka Report to Australasian Wealth Investments, which also publishes Intelligent Investor along with several other financial titles.
“I’m leaving on good terms,” he said this morning. “It’s still a good product, I’m just moving on. I like starting stuff.”
The Constant Investor will be a weekly title, with macro analysis of economics and business aimed at investors, plus a weekly half-hour podcast. Kohler hasn’t decided on a price for the subscription yet, but he says it won’t be much and will represent “fabulous value”.
It sounds a bit like Eureka Report, but Kohler says it’ll be a leaner operation. Unlike Eureka Report, the new title will not present stock-picking material, and it won’t employ stock analysts.
Kohler is funding the startup himself — asked if he had investors, he said it was “just me”. Kohler’s nightly gig at the ABC is unaffected.
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