Moustique

Moustique is a Belgian weekly magazine whose editorial coverage combines current affairs, cultural life, and television. The publication was established in 1924 by Dupuis under the name Le Moustique, giving it a long history in Belgium’s French-language magazine market. Its title refers to the mosquito, a name retained through several stages of the publication’s development. At the end of the 1960s, the magazine adopted the name Télémoustique, reflecting the growing importance of television to its editorial identity and commercial proposition. Under that name, it developed a distinctive position at the intersection of television listings, entertainment journalism, cultural coverage, and general-interest reporting. Television remained an important part of the title’s profile, while the magazine also addressed broader news and cultural subjects. The publication subsequently became associated with Sanoma Magazines, an international magazine publisher that owned the title before its later transfer. In November 2015, L’Avenir Hebdo, a subsidiary of the Liège-based media company Nethys, acquired the magazine. This transaction placed Moustique within a Belgian media group with interests in regional and general-interest publishing. In March 2011, the title was relaunched under the shorter name Moustique, replacing Télémoustique. The relaunch represented a repositioning of the brand beyond a narrowly television-centered identity, while retaining television and media coverage as important editorial areas. The current publication presents itself as a weekly news magazine with material spanning news, culture, television, and related entertainment topics. The brand’s principal offering is the weekly print and digital magazine distributed through its Belgian publishing operation and supported by the Moustique.be website. Publicly available reference material records sales of approximately 70,000 copies in 2013, although no more recent circulation figure is established in the supplied sources. Moustique’s enduring value lies in its combination of a recognizable historic title, recurring weekly editorial rhythm, and accessible coverage of public affairs, cultural events, television, and popular media. It remains a Belgian magazine brand rather than a global media franchise, with its identity rooted in the country’s French-language publishing environment.

Moustique originated in Belgium in 1924, when Dupuis launched the publication as Le Moustique. The title entered the market as a recurring magazine and later developed into a weekly news and entertainment publication. Its long-running presence made it one of the established names in Belgian magazine publishing. At the end of the 1960s, the publication changed its name to Télémoustique. The new identity emphasized television, which was becoming an increasingly important part of everyday media consumption and magazine publishing. Under the Télémoustique name, the magazine combined television-related material with reporting and features on culture, entertainment, and current affairs. This broadened editorial mix allowed it to function both as a television-oriented title and as a general-interest weekly. The magazine was later owned by Sanoma Magazines. During this period, it remained part of a larger magazine-publishing structure rather than operating solely as an independent Belgian title. Its editorial proposition continued to be associated with television, cultural subjects, and news-oriented features. In March 2011, the magazine was relaunched as Moustique. The return to the shorter title marked a significant branding change. Although television remained among its central topics, the new name supported a wider positioning around current affairs, culture, television, and popular media. The relaunch separated the contemporary brand from an identity that had become especially associated with television listings and programming. A subsequent ownership change occurred in November 2015, when L’Avenir Hebdo acquired Moustique. L’Avenir Hebdo is identified in reference material as a subsidiary of Nethys, a media company based in Liège. The acquisition shifted the title from Sanoma Magazines into a Belgian media-group context connected with L’Avenir’s publishing activities. Moustique’s editorial scope is organized around a weekly cycle. Its coverage includes news and current affairs, cultural events, television-related articles, and entertainment. The brand therefore occupies a hybrid position between a news magazine and a television-and-culture title. Its website, Moustique.be, provides the brand’s digital presence alongside the periodical publication. Reference material records sales of 70,000 copies in 2013. No later circulation, revenue, or audience figure is established in the supplied sources. The available history nevertheless shows a publication that has adapted its name and ownership while preserving continuity as a Belgian weekly magazine. From its 1924 launch as Le Moustique, through the Télémoustique period, and into the modern Moustique identity, the title has retained a focus on accessible reporting about public affairs, cultural life, television, and entertainment.

1. 2015Acquisition by L’Avenir Hebdo

   L’Avenir Hebdo, a Nethys subsidiary, acquired the magazine in November from Sanoma Magazines.

   Source
2. 2013Reported circulation milestone

   Available reference material reported sales of approximately 70,000 copies.

   Source
3. 2011Relaunch as Moustique

   The magazine was relaunched in March under the shorter Moustique name.

   Source
4. 1960The publication became Télémoustique

   At the end of the 1960s, the magazine adopted the Télémoustique name, highlighting its television-oriented editorial identity.

   Source
5. 1924Le Moustique launched

   Dupuis started the Belgian magazine under the original title Le Moustique.

   Source

A Belgian weekly general-interest magazine combining current affairs, culture, television coverage, and entertainment journalism. The brand builds on a long publishing history while using a concise, broader identity than its former Télémoustique name.

• Moustique weekly magazineWeekly news magazine1924

  The core Moustique product is a weekly Belgian magazine covering current affairs, culture, cultural events, television, and entertainment. It evolved from the earlier Le Moustique and Télémoustique titles and serves as the principal expression of the brand.

• Moustique.beDigital publishing

  Moustique.be is the brand’s official website and digital editorial channel. It extends the magazine identity online through content associated with news, culture, television, and related subjects.

• 2015Sale of Moustique to L’Avenir HebdoM&A

  Moustique was previously owned by Sanoma Magazines before the transaction.

  What changed. L’Avenir Hebdo, identified as a subsidiary of Nethys, acquired the magazine in November 2015.

  Aftermath. The publication became part of a Belgian media structure associated with L’Avenir Hebdo and Nethys.

  Source
• 2011Rebrand from Télémoustique to MoustiqueStrategy

  After decades under the Télémoustique name, the publication sought a shorter identity that could represent coverage extending beyond television.

  What changed. The magazine was relaunched in March 2011 under the Moustique name.

  Aftermath. The brand continued to cover television while presenting itself more broadly as a weekly magazine focused on current affairs, culture, and entertainment.

  Source

• 2015L’Avenir Hebdo acquired Moustique

  L’Avenir Hebdo, a subsidiary of Nethys, acquired the magazine in November 2015 from its previous owner, Sanoma Magazines.

  M&A
  Source
• 2013Moustique reported circulation of about 70,000 copies

  Reference material reported that the magazine sold approximately 70,000 copies in 2013.

  Other
  Source
• 2011Moustique relaunched under its shorter name

  The magazine was relaunched in March 2011 under the name Moustique, replacing the Télémoustique branding used since the late 1960s.

  Other
  Source

1. Moustique
2. Moustique official website