Colin Tough (born October 1959 in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire) is a British journalist and author, former Editor in Chief of What's On TV, TVTimes and TV & Satellite Week, and former Managing Director of Future PLC's TV & Entertainment group."Future consolidates magazine verticals”, InPublishing magazine, March 25 2021
Early life Tough attended Clydebank High School, where he was head boy in his final year.
Career Tough started his career in Scottish newspapers and at 19 edited his first title, The Govan Press, where he commissioned Captain Clyde, one of the first comic strips by now-renowned comic book writer Grant Morrison. He moved to London and the magazine industry in 1983. In the early 1990s, he edited the short-lived UK edition of TV Guide, joined TVTimes as deputy editor and was launch editor of TV & Satellite Week.
Tough launched IPC Media's digital initiative in 1994 and, as new media editor-in-chief and publishing director,"New Head For IPC New Media", Mediatel, 5 May 1998 was involved in all of IPC’s early digital projects, including the Milia d’Or award-winning CD-Rom magazine, UnZip,Sophia Chauchard-Stuart, "Jump in, have a quick read, jump out", The Independent, 27 November 1995 and the UK's first digital EPG.Mediatel staff. "IPC to launch interactive TV listings", Mediatel, London, 10 November 1995. Retrieved on 18 December 2016.
In 2002 he edited IPC’s market-leading Web User,"Colin Tough to edit Web User", Time Inc press release, January 2002 before taking over as editor of Britain’s best-selling magazine, What's On TV.Martin McNamara, "TV listings title gets Tough", The Guardian, May 27, 2002 Three years later he launched the UK’s first compact TV magazine, TV easy.John Plunkett, "IPC's £10m title stirs up TV listings", The Guardian, April 19, 2005 In 2016 he was appointed editor-in-chief of all Time Inc TV titles.
Colin became managing director of Future PLC's TV & Entertainment group in July 2020."Future consolidates magazine verticals”, InPublishing magazine, March 25 2021 He retired in 2021.
Shortlisted 15 times for the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) awards, Tough won the BSME Entertainment & Celebrity Editor of the Year award in 2018.“2018 BSME Awards Dinner", British Society of Magazine Editors Web site, November 20 2018 He also won the IPC Media Editor of the Year award in 2001, 2007 and 2012.
Since retiring, he has written four books – his autobiography, Guess Who I Met!, and three London walking guides.
In addition to his journalistic work, Tough also devised Sounds Like Music, an afternoon game show which ran for two 26-show series on ITV.
Personal life
Tough is married with a son. His brother is Ian Tough of the comedy act The Krankies.
References