—Shortlist: Free, weekly men’s magazine Shortlist, founded by former FHM editor Mike Soutar, made a pre-tax loss of £2.7 million in the 12 months to August 2008, its first year of trading, on turnover of £3.1 million. Soutar says he’s on course to make a profit within three year, as planned, and that the mag was beating original forecasts. And the company is looking to launch its first women’s magazine to compliment the 500,000 copies of Shortlist and is reportedly talking to ad agencies about a launch later this year. Soutar claims his mag contributed to the death of men’s mag Arena in the UK earlier this month. Via Media week and Campaign.

UPDATE: Soutar tells PG that there are no plans for any launches currently and that he finds such speculation flattering. “We’re in development in a number of different areas – we certainly haven’t got to the point of prioritising which idea we’re going to pursue next.” he says. He also plays down Shortlist’s role in the demise of Arena: “I think Arena has been in trouble for a long time. The thing that’s pushed it over the edge is the luxury end of the market is tightening its belt.”

—Telegraph Media Group: A series of commercial appointments at Telegraph Media Group: Nick Hewat, previously of Absolute Radio, has been hired as sales director and Mathew Watkins has been appointed director of advertising strategy. The company recently appointed Ross Belcher as client strategy director.

—The People: Paula Scott has started work as the first publishing director for The People, Trinity Mirror’s Sunday red-top, and will lead a re-launch of the title within the next six months. The paper has seen its circulation slide to under 600,000 a week in the face of the growing circulation of News of the World and its website looks basic compared to the recently re-launched Mirror.co.uk.