United Kingdom Magzines

The year in Canadian Magazines.

As we wind down the year (this will be the last post of 2006; best of the season and see you in January), it's time for our list of the good, the bad and the gnarly from the previous year, as posted on Canadian Magazines.Physician, heal thyself award to the Canadian Medical Association for first privatizing its prestigious Canadian Medical Association Journal, then firing the editors because they

Outdoor Photography Canada to launch this spring

Unknown 01:54

A new photography magazine is planning to launch this spring. Outdoor Photography Canada will be a quarterly, dedicated to landscapes, wildlife, nature and sport and the views that wilderness has to offer, combining love of the outdoors and photography in one magazine. The magazine will be buying one-time rights to photos submitted by readers. It's to be published by Sunlight Media of Brampton,

Changes in business and professional group at Rogers

Unknown 17:10

Further tightening at the Business and Professional Publishing division of Rogers, as Senior Vice-President John Milne consolidates his hold with the departure of four trade publishers: three out the door, one transferred over to the consumer division. This, according to a story in mastheadonline (sub req'd).Gone are:Richard Elliott, executive publisher Marketing Group/ Meetings and Travel Group;

Canadian mags among Utne independent nominees

Unknown 15:05

The Utne Independent Press Awards are a big deal, announced in its January/February issue; there is usually a tease at the end of the previous year, as there is this year with a number of Canadian titles in the finalists list: The Walrus (General Excellence, Best Writing, Best New Publication), Geez (Best New Publication), Maisonneuve (Best Writing, Best Design), Spacing (Best Design), Shameless

Blink, whatever that means

Unknown 14:50

We came across the premier issue of a new magazine called Blink, a quarterly out of Toronto that says it is chronicling the new Asian Canadian experience ("bicultural motion").The cover of the magazine plays to a sterotype of pouty, muscular young Asian males, draped over fast cars and glancing at an incongruously dressed young Asian woman (particularly in November). So, pretty standard stuff for

One-way flow of Maritimers continues west

Unknown 02:28

According to the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, nearly 13,000 Atlantic Canadians moved to Alberta for work between July 2005 and July 2006. That's not the end of it, according to a story in on CBC.ca.The think tank says the flow of skilled workers west will continue for some time and that's despite efforts like the magazine supplement published this week in several Alberta newspapers,

It's promotion, but is it news?

Unknown 13:40

Am I alone in wondering why it's news that Time magazine's Canadian edition chose Prime Minister Stephen Harper as its newsmaker of the year? Canadian outlets have fallen over themselves (as they do every year) in breathlessly reporting this, a self-serving promotional gimmick that was tired a long time ago.

Custom publishing now accounts for 25% of marketing budgets

Unknown 16:42

Companies in the U.S. spend about 18 per cent more on custom publishing in 2006 than the year before, accordingto a new study released by the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management magazine, reported in Folio:. The average amount that companies spent on custom publishing in 2006 grew to just under US$1.13 million. It now accounts for 24 percent of the total amount that companies

FHM's raunchy gambit fails, magazine to close

Unknown 14:59

"What it tells us about the category is if you don't innovate, you die." That was the response of the editor of Stuff magazine to the news that FHM, one of the pack of "lads' magazines", is closing in March, according to a story in MediaDaily News. FHM had shown signs of trouble in recent months, including being forced to cover up increasingly raunchy covers on newsstands and wholesale firing of

Canada Post contribution to Publications Assistance Program to continue

Unknown 21:50

PAP is safe, for now. The federal government has directed Canada Post to continue contributing its $15 million in support of the Publications Assistance Program. In a statement made today, Lawrence Cannon, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, said he had instructed Canada Post to continue the contribution for at least two more years. His announcement was made in tandem with

Building on success

Unknown 18:24

Now here's an idea, with the awards season coming up (deadlines looming for the National Magazine Awards and the Kenneth R. Wilson awards). In Malaysia, they had an advertising awards program (Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia -- the Kancil awards) where the prizes were shaped like Lego™ blocks, so you could stack 'em!

National Post is 'winner' of the year for its correction

Unknown 16:49

The National Post has tied for winner of the year for The Crunks 06, the compilation from the site Regret The Error of corrections and apologies from newspapes and magazines. It won for its correction following the May 19 front page splash of a story from an Iranian freelancer that said non-Muslims would have to wear special badges. (It used up almost as much space explaining how it came to

Billable hours in a freelancer's life

Unknown 16:02 freelancers

On the the blog Precedent: The New Rules of Law and Style, there is an interesting item showing the likely impact of "billable hours" on the lifestyles of young lawyers.We thought it would be interesting to do a variant of this for magazine freelancers. We have assumed a 5- day work week, 8 hours sleep a night and two weeks vacation.Waking hours per day 16Waking hours per work week (5 days)

Making sure that what you see is what's there

Unknown 11:05

Separating truth from fiction, particularly in pictures, has become a vexing question for publishers and news organizations like Reuters. You'll recall that a while back Reuters fired a news photographer who 'enhanced' some pictures digitally by adding extra plumes of smoke or trails of rocket fire to make his pictures more compelling.Tom Glocer, the chief executive officer of Reuters, made a

Rodale integrates print and online sales

Unknown 15:05

Rodale Magazines, the publishers of Prevention, Men's Health, Best Life and Runner's World, have combined their print and online forces for advertising sales and given its top editors an increase in responsibility for developing brand extensions in a variety of media, according to a story in MediaDaily News. It's a sign not only of the increasing integration of print and online but also of online

Dinsdale departs as Walrus ad sales manager

Unknown 22:03

Rolf Dinsdale, the associate publisher of The Walrus (responsible for advertising sales) has resigned. He says it is amicable and mutual, the result of "a fundamental disagreement about publishing philosophy".His departure comes mere weeks after the appointment of Shelley Ambrose as the new publisher of the magazine. However, he says the idea has been gestating for some time.

Seasonal lures for the long term

Unknown 16:49

Broken Pencil, the magazine about zine and indie culture, has come up with a couple of nifty package deals to push longer-term subs this holiday season.One package at $30 gets a 2-year sub (8 issues), a copy of Hal Niedzvecki's book Hello I'm Special: How Individuality became the New Conformity and a set of 5 BP pins. The other, at $28 has a 2-year sub, one copy each of earlier Niedzviecki books

New, free, media directory being launched by MediaPost

Unknown 13:04

A free all-media directory MediaPost Rates & Data is being rolled out in the U.S. with more than 37,000 listings of major electronic and print media providers, with detailed information on contacts, addresses, rate cards, coverage reps, networks and many of the basic building blocks of a media buy. The free directory is being published by MediaPost, the publisher of MediaDaily News. (If there is

A real circulation drive

Unknown 11:16

In an interesting piece of cross promotion, the Canadian Autombile Association (CAA) is offering subscriptions to the monthly kids' magazine The Magazine for a discounted rate of $24.95 (normally $29.95), with the stated benefit of turning 25% of the revenues over to help support school safety patrol programs. It was promoted in the December e-letter circulated to CAA members in south central

PWAC urges freelancers to shun deal with London Free Press

Unknown 23:49

In what may be a significant marker along the road to asserting freelancer's rights, the Professional Writers Association of Canada and the fledgling Canadian Freelancer's Union are urging freelancers in London, Ont. not to sign contracts with Sun Media/Quebecor's London Free Press. The new contracts, with a deadline of December 11, apparently make any further work with the paper contingent on

Mags Canada asks Ontario for tax credit, end to unfair competition and blue box equity

Unknown 18:02

Magazines Canada wants a tax credit for its members in Ontario, a jurisidiction that is home to half of Canadian magazines and where every other cultural industry has such tax relief. The requuest was part of a pre-budget submission made this week to Greg Sorbara, the Ontario treasurer. It's not the first time a tax credit has been talked about.The magazine association said a tax credit would

Senator Campbell to Ezra Levant: "Nutz!"

Unknown 17:06

Senator Larry Campbell, former Vancouver coroner, model for Da Vinci's Inquest and so on, takes off today after Western Standard editor publisher Ezra Levant for his criticism of the dual (Canadian, French) citizenship of new Liberal leader Stephane Dion.Is it a coincidence that there was a full moon at the same time as MP Pat Martin and Western Standard Editor Ezra Levant decided that Stéphane

Feathertale Review, still online, now on paper

Unknown 16:28

The quirky, sometimes hilarious virtual magazine Feathertale Review has taken corporeal form as the premier issue of its print annual is now on sale. The 68-page annual is a collection of original humour from Graham Roumieu (Me Write Book), Robert Munsch (Love You Forever) and two-dozen writers, poets, and illustrators. The magazine specializes in short fiction, cartoons and poetry.Feathertale

Making the most of 2,000 words

Unknown 15:37

Andrew Clark on the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers (TFEW) e-list gives his formula for writing a "comprehensive" magazine piece within a limit of 2,000 words:Lead - 26 lines (set place, character etc)Billboard - outlines the major topics (say 7)Spin it out - each graph hits the major topicCloser - back to lead settingout shower, shave and time for a drink

Quote, unquote

Unknown 13:34

"The dominant image of today's bride is that she is white, blond, blue-eyed and thin."-- Cynthia Frisby, associate professor of advertising at University of Missouri's School of Journalism, quoted in an article about a new study that shows significant racial bias in U.S. bridal magazines. Frisby and Erika Engstrom, professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, conducted the study by doing

Happy Canada Day

Unknown 22:00

Happy Canada Day. Posting will resume Tuesday.

The New Quarterly presents storytelling in Stratford in aid of breast cancer funder

Unknown 19:51

The New Quarterly, an award-winning and critically acclaimed literary magazine published in Waterloo is presenting two spoken word programs drawn from its pages, in Stratford this summer (one, next week).It is part of a larger series of song, dance and the spoken word throughout the summer in support of THE QUILT: A Breast Cancer Support Project.)Forbidden Fruit & Forbidding Mushrooms - a pair of

Is TVO to become yet another ad competitor?

Unknown 17:38

It's a sideline issue about another medium, but there is one interesting aspect about the announcement yesterday about TV Ontario's revamp. A story in today's Toronto Star says that one of the outcomes may be selling advertising on the previously ad-free channel."While Education Minister Sandra Pupatello pledged $7.5 million in new funding for each of the next two years for digital equipment and

Kinder, gentler couture the rule at Canadian fashion mags

Unknown 15:15

The devil may be in the details, but not in Prada, in Canada at least. Comparisons with the just-released movie, The Devil Wears Prada, based on former Vogue intern Lauren Weisberger's "fictional" memoirs of her own experience working for the tyrant Anna Wintour at Vogue are a long way from how things are in Canadian magazines."The truth is that the Canadian magazine industry can't pay anyone

Third time lucky?

Unknown 23:12

Cut down by its investors twice before, hip New York magazine Radar is taking another run, according to an interview with the New York Times. Maer Roshan said the magazine’s web site will be launched in August, but the magazine itself won’t hit newsstands until 2007. Radar was launched in 2003 and was suspended a few issues later because of money woes. News tycoon Mortimer Zuckerman financed a

ABC rolls out self-serve, "Rapid Reporting"

Unknown 22:44

The Audit Bureau of Circulations is rolling out "Rapid Reporting". An article in Folio: says that consumer magazine members in good standing will be allowed voluntarily to report their top-line circulation data on an issue-by-issue basis, usually within weeks of circulation to subscribers and on newsstands. Information on the system is available here, including samples and a tutorial. Starting

OMDC application deadline announced

Unknown 23:53

Half the magazines published in Canada are published in Ontario, so it's a big deal when there's some money available. The Ontario Media Development Corporation has put out a call for its Magazine Fund. It provides support up to $25,000 for projects that have clear, objective and measurable results that will support the overall business growth of Ontario-based magazine. Several kinds of projects

Good news for B2B magazines -- they work

Unknown 17:55

More than half the executives who read business to business magazines (B2B) have acted on an ad they saw, according to a new study by Harris Interactive conducted on behalf of American Business Media (ABM)."Fifty-seven percent [of respondents] said it had caused them to make a purchase or recommend a purchase" for their company, recalled Regina Corso, research director for Harris Interactive. "

Naughty, but not that naughty

Unknown 15:25

The raunchier they get, the more nervous the industry gets, at least in Great Britain. So called "lad mags" are in danger of being segregated to the top, back row of the newsstands, behind the modesty shields and in company with skin books unless the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) can persuade the British Parliament otherwise.According to a story in the Guardian, The PPA has written to

Maclean's closing...early

Unknown 01:59

[THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED] The current Macleans (July 1) contains the news that the magazine, which has been published on Mondays for as long as anyone can remember, is going to come out on Thursday from now on."After nearly 30 years of putting out a magazine every Monday, Maclean's has decided to stop. From now on, we'll be putting out a magazine every Thursday," said the upfront note from the

Free magazines are less valued & lack awareness, says MMR study

Was that a slight shiver that ran down the backs of the necks of controlled magazine publishers everywhere? Could be because they have seen a recent study commissioned by Emmis Communications, one of the largest publishers of city and regional magazines in the U.S. (Texas Monthly, Atlanta Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, Cincinnati Magazine).The results of the admitedly

Fuller signs on for another, richer, tour

Unknown 17:10

Bonnie Fuller, the celebrity-magazine editor has renewed her contract as editorial director for American Media for three years. According to the New York Times, she signed the new deal on Friday and is to receive the same $1.5 million annual base salary as in her current three-year contract, but more in bonuses over the next three years than she did in the previous three."Under her old contract,

Taking the long view

Unknown 15:03

Masthead magazine does the industry a huge favour each year by calculating total revenue for the top 50 magazines in the country. It is done by multiplying the advertising pages tracked by LNA and the key 1x page rate and the audited circulation numbers published by the magazines. Masthead applies a weighting factor to take account of discounts and special offers and, while publishers grumble

High stakes advertising; what's the deal?

Unknown 15:41

The so-called "World Series of Poker", is running an insert in the July issue of Maxim magazine, (on Canadian newsstands now) and featuring Full Tilt Poker star player and erstwhile sex symbol, Clonie Gowen. She is a member of "Team Full Tilt", a group of accomplished poker players assembled to play each other and all comers online by Fulltiltpoker.com. In turn, the Full Tilt Poker software is

Is traffic killing us?

Unknown 16:28

Spacing magazine, which this year won a gold medal in the Editorial Package category* in the National Magazine Awards, runs something called spacingwire, a daily log of interesting articles on urban planning and environmental issues that should be of great interest to all of us. One posting caught our eye, discussing the effects of traffic on health, based on a report released this spring by the

Magawards TV

Unknown 11:00

For those who weren't able to show up, booze and schmooze, the National Magazine Awards Foundation has now posted a web show that includes a video record of the awards night at the Carlu in Toronto on June 9. It's a welcome innovation, not least because it makes available a record of the host's best (and worst) jokes and the finalists and winners that goes beyond the terse paragraph of the news

Group buy offered in horseracing books

Unknown 02:53

Two smallish Canadian horse magazines -- HorseLife Magazine, the official publication of Equine Canada and The Racing Journal, a print and online publication which covers thoroughbred and quarter horse racing in Western Canada and the United States -- have signed on with Racing Unified Network (R.U.N.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Toronto-based Sungold International Holdings. R.U.N. will sell

Howe takes over Canadian Living and Homemaker's

Unknown 20:37

Very good news that Canadian Living and Homemaker's have been added to the responsibility of Vice-President and Group Publsiher Jacqueline Howe at Transcontinental, according to an article in mastheadonline (sub req'd). This consolidates English language consumer publishing for the company in Toronto. Howe, the former president of Avid Media, joined Transcon when it bought Avid (Canadian

Canada Post rate increase likely to be 3%

Unknown 20:15

Canada Post has apparently heard what the magazine industry was saying and moderated its rate increase, which will come into effect in January. According to a letter sent to Canada Post president Moya Greene by Magazines Canada President Mark Jamison, the rate increase will be about 3%. It will be officially announced in July. Last year, in some categories, postage rates for magazines in some

Corporate Knights dubs Shoppers tops

Unknown 19:12

Corporate Knights magazine named Shopper's Drug Mart as Top Corporate Citizen as part of the fifth annual ranking of Canada's Best 50 Corporate Citizens. The rankings, sponsored by The Ethical Funds Company, will be published in the June 26th issue.Companies are measured against 13 different indicators including tax generation, pension fund coverage, toxic releases, transparency around political

Av*ance charters

Unknown 18:40

Fun piece in Language Log about the cat-and-mouse game that ensued as Chinese censors tried, and sometimes failed, to insert "avoidance characters" in articles by the New York Times' Nicholas Kristof. He details it in an op-ed piece today (sub req'd). Apparently, there is so much net traffic that the 30,000 internet censors (!) can't keep up! You might want to browse through links of earlier

Sun chain dumps 170 jobs

Unknown 18:22

Sun Media Corporation announced layoffs of 170 people today -- apparently most of the people involved in library and research across the country were included. The press release spun it as a $7 million investment in new technologies and to "streamline production of newsgathering" (whatever that means). The savings from the firings is about $4.6 million.The daily Sun papers seem to be bearing the

June Callwood wins intellectual freedom award from Canadian Library Association

Unknown 15:11

We'd like to acknowledge that longtime magazine writer and activist June Callwood has been named the 2006 recipient of the Award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada, presented by the Canadian Library Association (CLA). You can read the CLA's June 8 press release here.“Long before they were safe or fashionable, June Callwood was a courageous and principled pioneer in many social

OK not quite so OK, it seems

Unknown 19:09

In light of the recent abrupt closure of Weekly Scoop by Torstar and the impending launch of Hello! magazine by Rogers, it's worth paying attention to how such celebrity titles are doing south of the border. An article in Ad Age says that OK, published by U.K. press baron Richard "Dirty Dick" Desmond, is not doing as well as Desmond promised and that many in the media think the whole idea of an

Shock pulled from major retailers' shelves

Unknown 19:00

No word about Canadian retailers doing so, but according to Ad Age, major retailers in the U.S. have pulled the premier issue of Shock magazine after the photographer who took the picture disputed their right to publish it. Tower Records, Rite Aid drugstores and Brooks Eckerd have taken the magazine off their shelves. An earlier post gives details on this dispute.Meanwhile, over at Media Life,

Guilt and Pleasure

Unknown 16:23

Not having heard about it, it was very interesting to read about an international magazine that talks about what it is to be Jewish today called Guilt and Pleasure. Cynthia Brouse posts an item on her blog The Clothesline Saga about working temporarily as a copy editor on G & P and her pleasure at working on a magazine of ideas again. She met the editor-in-chief Mireille Silcoff (now based in

The antithesis factor: Guardian plans launch of American magazine

Unknown 23:10

Interesting piece in this week's New York magazine about the impending American edition of the Guardian from Great Britain. Many people in Canada regularly read the Guardian online or subscribe to the excellent weekly. But the New York article wonders what effect the new publication will have on the U.S. publishing zeitgeist.Media columnist Michael Wolff wrote about getting a preview from the

Lies my media buyer tells me

Unknown 17:18

Hey, I can live with the feeling of being an unworthy, obsequious reptile but please don't lie to me. I'm not a baby. I won't come crying because my magazine is not on the plan.So says Reptile, in Rep Life. And who are we to gainsay it? An interesting post about lies, damned lies and media buyers.

How The Walrus works

Unknown 15:01

The Walrus magazine is now using an unusual freelance contract that is interesting in two respects: its view of what's fair in terms of kill fees and payment terms; and in giving an insight into the hoops through which the magazine has jumped and is jumping in order to get, and keep, charitable status.The contract varies in several ways from standard magazine practice and from the standard

Better Chinese Homes & Gardens

Unknown 14:31

Meredith Corporation announced Monday that it has launched a Chinese edition of Better Homes and Gardens, in partnership with SEEC Media Group Limited, one of China's biggest print media companies. The magazine became available in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore--which has a large ethnic Chinese population--in early June. The magazine will be a mix of American content from the parent

60% favour same-sex marriage: Toronto Life

Unknown 14:15

According to a Leger Marketing poll published in the current issue of Toronto Life, 60% of Ontarions support same-sex marriage, including 49% who support it outright and 11% who give tacit support by saying "it's none of my business". 44% of respondents said that a free vote on the definition of marriage should not be a priority of the federal government. Three in ten say it should be a "minor

Sounds like a laff riot

Unknown 20:57

The new fall lineup for CBC has been announced and features, among other shows, Rumours, a comedy about modern life inside a Toronto women's magazine.

So that's what a billion is

Unknown 18:00

Highlights , a 60-year-old U.S. kids magazine which has some subscribers in Canada, has reached the milestone of publishing one billion copies. According to editor Christine French Clark, the August issue will explain the concept of a billion this way: ``If Goofus stacked a billion children on his shoulders, they would reach the moon, wrap around the moon 11 times, stretch back to the earth,

Bonnie Fuller renewal in some doubt

Unknown 15:55

[This post has been UPDATED] The bloom may be off Bonnie Fuller's rose, as there is some question whether the sweet deal she negotiated three years ago to be editorial director at American Media Inc. will be renewed, at least on the same generous terms. Fuller, as most people in the Canadian media know, got her start here, at the Toronto Star and Flare, then became something of a shooting star

Strong dollar chips away at Transcon revenue

Unknown 14:06

The relative strength of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar and the peso had a significant effect on the second quarter results of Transcontinental Inc. It reported an 11 per cent drop in profit for the quarter, the result of an $11.4 million drop in revenue, largely driven by changes in the exchange rate. Although Transcontinental is the largest consumer magazine publishing company in

Pink Triangle buys The Guide

Unknown 16:26

Pink Triangle Press of Toronto, the not-for-profit publishers of Xtra biweeklies in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa, is purchasing The Guide, a Boston-based international travel and sexual politics monthly from Edward Hougen, the retiring owner, who is turning 65 come January.The Guide is a newsprint magazine; its website states it has a print-run of 30,000. It's distributed in the U.S. and Canada,

Absolutely, maybe, sometimes

Unknown 13:13

People who are adamant about the separation of church and state, advertising and editorial, in print, are less resolute about online and the more they talk about it, the more "nuanced" their views become. Consider two statements made during a conversation in New York in a panel discussion hosted by a media firm MediaVest. It was reported by MediaDaily News.Conde Nast executive Sarah Chubb,

Modest gains forecast for U.S. consumer magazines; slump for trades

Unknown 15:57

Ad spending in the United States -- a pretty good bellwether of what's happening in Canada -- is expected to rise 4.9 percent to $150.3 billion for full-year 2006, a downward revision from original forecast of 5.4 percent growth in January. The figures were released by TNS Media Intelligence, one of the most respected sources of such data for Madison Avenue, according to a story in MediaDaily

Ken Thomson dies

Unknown 18:54

Canada's richest man, one of its greatest philanthropists Ken Thomson (Lord Thomson of Fleet) has died at the age of 82. Thomson's relationship to the magazine world was at several removes, since he took Thomson Corp. in a new direction in the last two decades, away from the newspaper and publishing empire his father, Roy, had built. Thomson Corp. became known for its strengths in data and

Canada Magazine Fund review recommends cuts in aid to literary and arts magazines

Unknown 18:07

Canadian Heritage will be ending Support for Arts & Literary Magazines (SALM) and making major changes to the Support for Editorial Content (SEC).A review of the Canada Magazine Fund has been underway since last summer. The report has just been released and can be read here. The report includes recommendations from the consultants, management discussion of the recommendations and deadlines for

Weekly Scoop closed

Unknown 18:04

Weekly Scoop, Torstar's energetic run at finding a place for itself in the crowded celebrity publication field, is closing. Staff were told today. According to a terse press release on the Torstar website, if you bought the issue distributed last Friday, June 9 it's now a collector's item; there will be no more. What will happen to the 27 employees involved? Not yet announced."This was a

Mags Canada announces 2007 date for new conference in cooperation with CMC

Unknown 16:51

The other shoe dropped with today's e-bulletin from Magazines Canada, officially announcing the Magazine Industry's BIG conference, to be held June 13-15, 2007 presented by Magazines Canada and the Circulation Management Association of Canada (CMC). Last week, CMC announced it was joining Magazines Canada in presenting the new conference.As a post last week noted, Magazines Canada and CMC are

Canadian Tourism ads target U.S. gays

Unknown 13:56

Though it doesn't benefit Canadian magazines, it is worth noting that there is a concerted, government-sponsored advertising campaign going into U.S. publications, aimed at luring gay and lesbian couples to come north to get married. The first such ad appeared in Passport in May. According to a story in Pink News, an online site from Britain, the Canadian Tourism Commission has launched an

This week, brought to you by Deadwood

Unknown 13:37

For those who were not very happy with the single-sponsor issue of the New Yorker a couple of years ago, there will be continued unhappiness with news that the June 16 issue of Felix Dennis's newsweekly The Week will be all "Deadwood", all the time. The British magazine (sold in Canada) will have 12 pages of advertising (it's always an edit-heavy, newsstand-driven book) from the producers of the

Time marches on, heroes at the ready

Unknown 11:00

Time Canada names its Canada's Heroes in this week's issue, on newsstands today. You can read the list of heroes here. This is the third year for this particular editorial promotion by Time, throwing around its shoulders the mantle of national pride and scattering maple leaves (very pretty leaves, mind) everywhere to paper over the fact that the magazine is simply the splittest of split runs.

What a night at the magawards

Unknown 19:44

Magazines Week, culminated splendidly on Friday night, as it does every year now, with the always splashy and enjoyable National Magazine Awards. (The list of all the winners can best be seen here.) The magawards has just completed its 29th year and did it in fine style again at the Carlu in Toronto.There was some truly excellent work shown this year and some laudable wins, such as the gold to

A Canadian food mag? Fat chance

Unknown 19:27

Supportive stories must be taken where they are found; one supporting the position of the Canadian magazine industry concerning the predatory practices of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission has appeared in the National Post. The paper is not usually noted for a positive attitude towards Canadian magazines.Gina Mallet, however, makes again a point that

When is a magazine an annual report?

Unknown 19:08

There's no trademark on the word "magazine", of course, and a lot of people trade on the inherent trust and entertainment values of magazines. Think of some "custom publications" and magalogues. However, we had always thought that an "annual magazine" was something of an oxymoron; that a magazine needed to be a periodical. However, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of

Low scores and sports snobbery

Unknown 16:53

In honour of the start of the World Cup, here's a contrarian view from Martin O'Malley, a regular columnist over at cbc.ca. O'Malley, some of you may know, is a writer with a lovely light touch who once was a frequent writer for the Globe magazine (not that one, the long-gone, excellent weekend supplement that was published by the Globe and Mail) and, for two and a half glorious years was the

Taking the mickey out of Captain Copyright

Unknown 16:14

The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, known popularly as Access Copyright was created in 1988 by Canadian writers and publishers to license public access to copyright works for use within Canada. In an effort to educate the public, it invented a comic book character, Captain Copyright and put up a website for teachers and kids.Of course, such an effort was ripe for satire*, and

Variable pricing

Unknown 15:52

Word that People magazine's issue this week has its price jacked up because it has "exclusive" pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's baby Shiloh. Can't think of an instance when, for one week only, a Canadian magazine raised its price because of some exclusive story. (There are instances of lowering the price for a week as a promotion, of course -- most recently the 25-cent offer of Weekly

Toro stands firm on Haiti shooting story

Unknown 03:05

Toro magazine has made some significant waves with this week's publication of a story about an ex-Mountie's shooting death in Haiti. The story accused Jordanian peacekeepers of failing to assist Mark Bourque after he was shot; as a result, he essentially bled to death. Toro said (and used phone pix to prove it) that the Jordianian members of the peacekeeping mission delayed summoning help during

CSME picks Today's Parent and Cottage Life best magazines

Unknown 02:54

The Canadian Society of Magazine Editors has announced the winners of the 2006 Editors’ Choice Awards. The awards ceremony took place at a gala dinner at the Old Mill Inn in Toronto on Thursday night. (At left, Linda Lewis, Editor in Chief of Today's Parent, which won Best Magazine in the large-circ category and also Best Display) Cottage Life magazine won Best Magazine in the

Kenneth R. Wilson trade magazine awards

Unknown 20:16

The top awards in the Canadian business press were made last night. The full list of gold, silver and runner-up winners by category is available here. The following were first place (gold) winners:Best editorial -- HazMat Management, Fuel for the Fire. Connie Vitello, EditorBest industrial/manufacturing article -- Machinery & Equipment MRO, Curbing the Bad Actors. Carroll McCormick, Contributing

Profit 100 taps fastest companies

Unknown 17:28

Profit magazine has published its annual ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies, the Profit 100. For the first time in its 18-year-history, the top spot on the PROFIT 100 goes to a company from Atlantic Canada. Rutter Inc. of St. John's, Nfld., is a marine technologies, engineering and automation company that saw a whopping 31,598% revenue growth over the past five years. You can see the

Segal will absorb Botting's role at Rogers

Unknown 16:34

President Brian Segal's grip on the future of all kinds of magazines at Rogers Publishing will tighten with the departure of Harvey Botting as head of trade publishing at the end of this month, according to an item in mastheadonline (sub req'd). Segal told Masthead that he is assuming Botting's duties as Senior Vice-President, Business Information Group, rather than replacing him. the only

Emphatic !? question?!

Unknown 16:16

To the delight of font-dweebs and typography mavens everywhere, it is apparent that the "interrobang" glyph is being seen more often now in font libraries and thereby may find its way into magazine pages.The interrobang combines the exclamation mark and the question mark in one and was developed in 1962 by Martin Speckter with the intention of conveying additional information for advertising

CMC and Magazines Canada bailing from Magazines University

Unknown 23:26

It was not exactly a thunderclap, but some people will be shocked now that it has been made official. In an e-mail to members on the very eve of Magazines University 2006, the Circulation Management Association of Canada (CMC) executive and board has announced that it will be its last. It is joining the decamping Magazines Canada in a wholly new event beginning in 2007.There should be some talk

Scratch Reptile behind the ear, go on

Unknown 17:50

Poor Reptile, the anonymous ad rep who posts occasionally over at Rep Life is feeling unloved, unappreciated and un-responded to. Which is a shame, because his posts often say what other reps only think about media buyers and the whole advertising business. Reptile needs feedback, he craves it. Send him a comment as a simple act of charity.

Maxim brand for Vegas hotel and casino

Unknown 17:33

Line extensions, you want line extensions? Read the New York Times report on how Maxim magazine is putting its brand on a Las Vegas hotel. Figures.

Black watch

Unknown 16:38

If you are among those who can't get enough of the Conrad Black saga, you'll want to read the Telegraph story from London, detailing the ways in which his Lordship is apparently rebounding from his troubles (even though he still faces a trial later in the year).

Western Magazine Awards finalists announced

Unknown 14:37

The nominees for the Western Magazine Awards, have been announced. There are 27 categories and the winners will be named on the evening of July 7 in Vancouver. Among the nominees (the complete list can be seen here) are:Best New Magazine: Acreage Life, Adventurous, Small Farm Canada and SwerveMagazine of the Year–Manitoba: Border Crossings, Prairie Fire, The Beaver, Winnipeg WomenMagazine of the

Circ IQ: crunch go the numbers

Unknown 13:39

A new tool for media buyers has been developed, and is being launched today in New York, that will assess magazines' audited circulation data and come up with a score based on the advertisers needs and criteria. It's not the first such system; McPheters & Co. has launched similar services to provide both publishers and agencies with an on-the-fly database of accurate circulation data

Indexers delight (see: conference, annual)

Unknown 21:16

Of particular interest to scholarly and literary magazine people is word that Toronto plays host June 15 to 17 to hundreds of international indexers at the Triennial International Indexing Meeting and Conference of the Indexing and Abstracting Society of Canada/Société canadienne pour l'analyse de documents (IASC/SCAD) and the American Society of Indexers (ASI). The meetings are held at the

Globe headline on Rogers' Chocolat launch

Unknown 20:12

[See earlier items here and here.]It's fascinating to see the negative spin that the 3 June Globe and Mail article (and in particular its headline "You can move, but can't hide, from new Rogers magazine") put on the Chocolat launch ... not to mention the roughly 20-to-1 negative comments that Globe readers posted online. Words like "appalling" and "disgusting", and (so far) 4 references to

Quote, unquote

Unknown 13:21

In an e-mail to Toronto Star entertainment reporter Judy Stoffman (part of a longer column and interview with New Yorker editor David Remnick) , bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell (a native of Elmira, Ontario), compares Remnick to basketball star Tayshaun Prince."[Prince is] smooth and elegant and glides quietly around the court, never breaking a sweat, and then at the end of the game you look

Who will have the last word?

Unknown 12:49

It's hard for a casual observer to know the truth, but here's an entertaining column in the Rocky Mountain News that's about journalists mangling, misinterpreting and otherwise messing up when it comes to writing about language.Columnist Linda Seebach quotes Geoffrey Pullum, a noted linguist from University of California: "I tell you honestly," Pullum writes, "I wish English had a word meaning '

Rinehart out before she's in at Transcon

Unknown 19:55

[UPDATE] Dianne Rinehart sent a message in response to the post below, so I thought I'd give her the first word. Here's what she said (objecting to the characterization of her tenure at Homemaker's as "stormy"):I just read the blog you wrote on my decision not to accept Transcontinental’s offer. I hope you will consider rewriting it since it is totally off the mark. (I know that’s not your fault.

London to get local mag for women

Unknown 11:00

Real Women London, a monthly, full-colour magazine to launch this week will feature plus-size models, modern fashions found in London, local restaurant reviews and many other features and columns, all with a local emphasis. This, according to a story in the London Free Press.“We like to think of it as our own little Oprah magazine,” says publisher Shelly Wilson, who has partnered with

Growing up with Stop Spadina

Unknown 18:55

A delightful memoir by Adam Vaughan is published in the current issue of eye magazine, about the fight his parents helped to lead against the Spadina Expressway in Toronto. There will be a celebration, hosted by Spacing magazine, of the day the Spadina was stopped, 35 years ago, with a reception on Friday, June 2 from 5 to 7 pam. at Historic Spadina House, 285 Spadina Road. Adam Vaughan’s

Chocolat -- Rogers' sweet taste of success?

Unknown 18:28

Rogers Publishing Ltd. has unveiled plans for its new national shopping magazine for the home. It's called Chocolat and will be produced in both French and English with first editions available in September.While building on the success of Rogers other shopping magazine LOULOU, Chocolatis using a much different circulation model. It will be delivered to an exclusive list of 250,000 Canadians who

Post to carry new, luxury magazine

Unknown 17:15

Media in Canada today reports that a new, luxury, controlled circulation magazine called Avant will start distribution this fall. It will be aimed at high personal net worth (greater than $100k in annual personal incomes) subscribers of the National Post. (Does the National Post have 150,000 high net worth subscribers? Ed.) Avant, which will explore trends in business, politics, arts and

Google magazine ad auction falls flat

Unknown 14:04

Google's venture to auction off print ads in magazines, which launched in February, has been one of the biggest disappointments in the last six months, says Jonathan Rosenberg, Google's senior vice president for product management. It fell short of the company's expectations, he told investors and the media during a conference call on Wednesday. (The story was reported in Media Post.) "That

School fundraising switching from student door-knocking to e-mail sub pitches

Unknown 13:15

Watch your inbox for a subscription pitch from students of your acquaintance, switching from traditional fundraisers like selling chocolate bars door-to-door. A story in the Montreal Gazette says that EFundraising.com, a Montreal company owned by Reader's Digest, is making its online sales system available to Canadian schools this fall. Already the company has 125 employees and a projected US$25

Disqualification, chapter and verse

Unknown 11:00

Sometimes the light of reason shines from rather unexpected places, such as the front-of-the-book item in Canadian Business (May 22-June 4 issue), in which Andrew Nikiforuk neatly dissects the Gwyn Morgan affair. [sorry, I couldn't find it online]You'll recall all the sturm und drang surrounding the Commons committee that rejected Morgan as new head of the public appointments commission. And how

Shock for Shock

Unknown 17:31

Barely on the stands a day, Shock magazine may be recalled and pulped, if a photographer has his way. According to a story in Ad Age, the inaugural cover features a photograph of a G.I. holding a wounded child. The publication of the picture was never authorized, says photographer Michael Yon, a former Green Beret who went to Iraq as a freelance journalist. Shock's publishers, Hachette

Walrus subs up, singles flat

Unknown 16:00

Latest circulation results for The Walrus indicates that it continues to grow, having increased average qualified circulation by about 8.8% since this time last year.The average qualified paid circulation published by CCAB/BPA for the 6 months ended March 2006 is 46,581. Last year, it was 42,828. (The qualified paid circulation includes about 3,300 copies that are distributed in Air Canada's

U of T mag goes forest-friendly

Unknown 20:33

U of T Magazine has become the 7th glossy Canadian title to switch to ancient forest-friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled stock), effective with its summer 2006 issue. The others are explore (with the distinction of being the first to make the switch), Outpost, Yes, Know, Outdoor

Them Days founding editor passes away

Unknown 17:20

Canadian Press reports that Doris Saunders, the founding editor of Them Days magazine and widely recognized for her work to preserve the history of Labrador, has died in St. John's at the age of 64.The magazine and its archival annex have become a Labrador institution and are often described as among the best collections of material about Labrador. Saunders was inducted into the Order of Canada

Tribute to the trenches

Unknown 13:06

It happens less often than it ought to: an editor of a major magazine paying tribute to one of his senior editors. In the June issue of Report on Business magazine, Editor Laas Turnbull devotes his Editor's Desk column (sorry, can't find a link) to celebrating the skill, insight and sensitivity that one of his senior editors, Ted Mumford, brings to his job. (And so he should, as he notes Mumford

The freelancer's -- and the industry's -- challenge

Unknown 19:55

In the recently released Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) study of the freelance writing sector in Canada, (available from pwac.ca) it was interesting to find out that full-time freelancers not only earn higher rates, but (not surprisingly) take home more money. (This has to be put in the context that, as reported in an earlier post, that freelancers generally have seen their

Harper's yanked from Indigo stores because of prophet cartoons

Unknown 12:26

Ten per cent of Harper's magazine's total circulation comes from the Canadian market, so it's not a small deal when Indigo Books and Music pulls all the single copies from its 260 stores , as the Globe and Mail has reported happened this week. Normally the chain handles 3,000 copies a month. It's because of an article called "Drawing Blood" in the June issue.The issue has been in subscribers'

Water jitters noted in the desert playground

Unknown 04:30

Maclean's is being noticed in some unexpected quarters. The Las Vegas Sun has taken notice of the recent Maclean's feature on Canada's fears that the U.S. is going to make a grab for Canadian water, as well as articles on the same topic in the magazine of the Council of Canadians and similar in The American Prospect. But officials in Nevada pooh-pooh it: "We've got no desire or direction to go up

The Beaver redesign pays off

Unknown 15:58

Let it be a lesson to all of us: good covers count. A thorough-going and very handsome redesign of The Beaver magazine (published by Canada's National History Society) is reaping the fruits of that investment, at least measured by newsstand results. According to a newsletter included with its most recent issue, an earlier issue featuring the cover story about Canada's fabled silk train was the

Quark7 launched; too little, too late?

Unknown 21:00

Will this be a case of closing the barn door after the cow has escaped? In New York, Quark XPress has released Version 7 of the 25-year-old software package, trumpeting some 160 changes and improvements.But at the same time, according to a story in Folio:, its major rival, Adobe, released news of yet another convert to its InDesign Creative Suite. Health and wellness publisher Rodale (Prevention,

Sara Angel now Editor of Chatelaine

Unknown 16:03

At last, a new Editor has been appointed at Chatelaine. The magazine has been without an editor for 9 months, since the resignation of Kim Pittaway.A brief announcement today by Publisher Kerry Mitchell said: "I am delighted to announce the appointment of Sara Angel to the position of Editor-in-Chief at Chatelaine. Sara's unique combination of talents includes writing, editing, designing and

Fox postal report makes grim reading

Unknown 13:41

Michael Fox, the acknowledged industry expert on Canadian postal matters, has released another of his periodic reports on Canada Post pricing. Fox is Senior Vice-President, Circulation and Development for Rogers Media. And this one is, like others, a shocker; in addition to providing a detailed analysis of the post office's rate card and increases, it reports the indifference (bordering on

If it bleeds, it leads as Shock debuts

Unknown 13:06

All the dubious pleasures of ogling a traffic accident will be brought right to your newsstand or doorstep as a new magazine called Shock, a North American version of the French Choc, debuts in Canada and the U.S. next week. It's published by Hachette Filipacchi, the world's largest magazine publisher and distributor. Hachette publishes such upscale books as Elle (and partners with Transcon in

Saltscapes may go into restaurant business

Unknown 16:09

The Gourlays, Linda and Jim, are among Canada's highest energy publishers with their magazine Saltscapes out of Halifax. They have been aggressively building the brand and, according to a story in today's Halifax Chronicle Herald, they may put their brand on restaurants in Super 8 motels in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.A decision to proceed with three locations in Nova Scotia and one in New

Cell phone use can skew research data

Unknown 12:49

For those magazines which use telephone polling as a way of reaching or probing reader attitudes, a lonnnnggg study by Pew Research Centre in the U.S. found that the difficulty reaching cellphone-only households (about 7 t0 9%) so far makes relatively little difference (about 1%) to the ultimate results of random telephone surveys. However cellphone-only households tend to be younger, less

Short engagement

Unknown 05:08

Oh, dear. It's not bad enough that web and online and podcasts and whatever else is threatening magazines as we know them (I'm kidding, really), now comes along some research that shows magazine "engagement" may be no great shakes, either.For years, publishers have been pushing the idea that "engagement" with readers is the key to success for advertisers, that "engagement" is something that is a

Quebecor and Transcon in TV listings squabble

Unknown 17:44

Montreal-based Quebecor Inc. (a significant magazine player and the largest magazine printer) is accusing Transcontinental Inc. (the largest consumer magazine player and one of the largest printers) of breaking a non-competition agreement.According to an article inside and below the fold in the Globe and Mail, the accusation came out as part of pre-trial filings.Transcon is apparently printing a

She's an off roader on the cusp of being an experiential with indulger tendencies

Unknown 14:57

Traditional Home magazine has published its latest psychographic breakdown of the all-consuming affluent American female population, beloved bedrock of women's service and shelter publishing, according to an online item published by Media Post. Traditional Home, is owned by the Meredith Corporation (Better Homes and Gardens), which partnered with trend-tracking firm Nickles and Ashcraft to study

Take your pick

Unknown 21:15

Here's an article where a puzzled writer talks to three experts and finds three different views of the current state and future of the magazine business.“Consumer magazines are being hit on all sides,” says Thomas Kemp, managing director at the Veronis Suhler Stevenson media investment firm. “A strong flight of advertising to online” poses one problem, he says, while “newsstand sell-through has

Transcon's Smart Living to launch in September

Unknown 16:29

According to Media in Canada, Transcontinental will debut Canadian Smart Living in September, a mag focusing on consumer electronics and lifestyle. It will be included as a reader premium in more than 200,000 subscriber and newsstand issues of other Transcon titles. Publisher Joe Tersigni says the new publication's target is typically married or living with a partner, in their 30s or 40s with

The freelancer's life and earnings

Unknown 11:00

The Professional Writers of Canada (PWAC) have released a major study they did of the earnings of freelance writers in this country and the results are bracing: Real earnings for freelance writers in Canada shrank in the decade between 1995 and 2005. In 1995 respondents to the PWAC survey indicated that their average annual income before taxes was approximately $26,500. "A decade later, that

OCAD Publication Show rocks

Unknown 04:33

Tonight attended the 1st annual Publication Show at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. Lamentably, this show only runs for 3 days, but if you're able, go and see it. Or make a note in your calendar for this time next year, as it is sure to be repeated after this stellar debut. There is some excellent, and I mean excellent, work from this year's Faculty of Design graduates,

Michael Fox named Volunteer of the Year

Unknown 02:11

It's a great pleasure to see that Michael Fox has been named Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year for 2005. It's a brand new award and he well deserves to be its first recipient. Fox is Senior Vice-President, Circulation & Development at Rogers Publishing Limited in Toronto and is actively involved in the publishing industry as Chair of Magazines Canada's Postal Subcommittee and a member of the

Dose proves fatal

Unknown 01:57

It may have rounded the corner into its second year (see earlier item) but it almost immediately stumbled into oblivion. Dose, the "daily magazine" is no more. It was launched in April 2005 (right). CanWest MediaWorks is discontinuing the publication and rolling its website dose.ca into its crowded stable of online services. About 50 people will lose their jobs, although it's not clear if Noah

Botting takes early retirement from Rogers

Unknown 17:48

Harvey Botting, the head of trade publishing for Rogers Media, is taking early retirement. Botting's decision to retire makes him only the latest of the senior vice-presidents to leave Rogers (earlier departures were Paul Jones and Donna Clark). Botting was one of the most senior magazine guys in the company, and one of the last links to the old Maclean Hunter management.President Brian Segal's

Glow gets a francophone sister

Unknown 17:15

A sister publication to Glow, published by Rogers Media for Shoppers Drug Mart, has been launched. Pure magazine went on newsstands across Quebec yesterday, according to Media in Canada. It will be published by Rogers six times a year and distributed to 65,000 Optimum card bearers and on newsstands; content includes international beauty and fashion trends to health, lifestyle and cuisine ideas

A dollar-a-year man

Unknown 11:11

The former President and owner of CB Media and publisher of Canadian Business, the Honourable Roy MacLaren, PC, has been appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a Commissioner of the Public Appointments Commission. MacLaren, a former MP, diplomat and businessman, was one of three commissioners appointed.“Establishing the Public Appointments Commission is an important step toward a more open

George Bain dies; wrote for Maclean's

Unknown 14:49

George Bain, who for many years wrote for Maclean's magazine as well as anchoring the main political column for the Globe and Mail, has died in Halifax, aged 86. Bain, who recently lived in Mahone Bay, had become the first director of the journalism school at the University of King's College in Halifax in 1979 and became an officer of the Order of Canada in 2001. He authored five books and won

CMAJ Editor speaks out; says he was fired without cause

Unknown 11:15

The New England Journal of Medicine has published a letter (which it solicited) from Dr. John Hoey, the former editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Hoey says that, while the CMA refused to give a reason for firing him, his exploration of politically sensitive issues may have led to his dismissal. It was the first time he had spoken or written about the dispute. The CBC website

Rogers dumps Quark; goes with In Design

Unknown 11:00

That giant sucking sound you heard was QuarkXpress going down the drain at Rogers Media. All publications are to switch over to Adobe In Design as soon as it can be managed. Quark launched QuarkXpress in 1987 and sparked off a revolution in destktop publishing. It rapidly eclipsed other software like Ventura Publisher and PageMaker, but in recent years the major complaint of users was failure to

United Church Observer wins CCP award

Unknown 21:23

Winner in the magazine category of the Canadian Church Press 'Awards of Merit' given out this week was The United Church Observer, which was hailed for inspiring readers to "explore and apply their faith and spirituality."

Dose rounds the corner into Year Two

Unknown 20:56

Congratulation to Dose, the "daily magazine" from CanWest MediaWorks, which this week celebrated its first year of publication. I admit my continuing scepticism about their business model, but there is no denying that, day in, day out, they have produced an interesting and entertaining publication; it is no more than it claims to be, and sometimes pleases and surprises its readers.

U.S. National Magazine Awards given out

Unknown 22:16

The guiding principle in magazine awards is "you can't win it if you're not in it"; lots of entries usually result in some nominations, which in turn can result in a couple of wins. But not always, as evidenced by this weeks U.S. National Magazine Awards. The Atlantic Monthly, which had 8 nominations, went home with no awards.The "Ellies" (named after the elephant shaped "stabile" tropy designed

Dollco Printing wins award for family enterprise

Unknown 21:08

A family owned company that prints many Canadian magazines has been given the 2006 CICA Family Enterprise of the Year Award by The Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA). The award is made biannually."Dollco Printing is a true Canadian family business success story,' said Lawrence Barns, National CEO of CAFE, 'Having reached its

International magazine launches

Unknown 18:02

According to the International Federation of the Periodical Press, Marquard Media AG, the Swiss publisher, has launched a Russian version of JOY. It is its latest of 10 international editions pf the pocket-format trend magazine is aimed at young, fashion-conscious women aged 18-34. The Russian edition starts with 320,000 copies.Other international launches of note, according to FIPP:Millionaire

OOPS! This Magazine reprints entire issue

Unknown 16:42

The May-June issue of This Magazine was like a sudoku puzzle for subscribers, with pagination in one copy going 1-6, 15-22, 7-14, 31-46 and some forms/pages missing altogether, including an article on copyright on page 28. The magazine has recently posted a notice on its website apologizing for this, which was said to be an error at the printer. Subscribers are just now receiving a reprinted

Get a glimpse of the future at OCAD grad show

Unknown 14:35

Many of Canada's best art directors and designers have graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto; many others have passed through in one way or another. The graduate students are holding a showcase on Wednesday, May 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. at 100 McCaul Street where you may get a glimpse at the future of magazine design in this country

Quote, unquote

Unknown 19:28

"HERE is the most important thing you need to know about Star: It is not a magazine; it is a picture book that chronicles celebrity distress.... [it] shines in a lesser galaxy, where celebrity is just a hunka hunka of burning loss presented in bite-sized bits." -- Fern Siegel, contributing writer to Media Post, in her commentary (free sub requ'd) on Bonnie Fuller's Star.

Gzowski literacy award call

Unknown 17:08

If you've written anything about literacy issues in a Canadian magazine, you might want to consider submitting it to the Gzowski awards. The Peter Gzowski Literacy Award of Merit was developed by ABC CANADA, in honour of broadcaster and writer Peter Gzowski, to recognize the talent,effort and commitment required to achieve quality reporting on issues related to literacy.The prize is glory and $

Goodbye to frequency; hello to engagement?

Unknown 16:11

Frequency of message has been, for many years, a foundation of selling magazine advertising. But, as Paul Parton points out in the May issue of Media (Media Post): "Frequency suggests that you can create successful communications by simply beating people over the head with the same idea."But, he goes on, that doesn't mean that the new buzzword 'engagement' is much of a substitute because "

Department of euphemism

Unknown 18:28

Trafalgar Productions, which publishes a controlled-circ youth entertainment bimonthly Access, has struck a deal with The Forzani Group to start distribution in October of a 100,000-circ glossy called Replay to Forzani’s chain of 116 Sport Chek stores across the country. It was reported today in mastheadonline (sub requ'd).The magazine will feature Forzani merchandise and, according to a

Michael I is a good guy. Discuss

Unknown 14:25

The Tyee is an online magazine published out of Vancouver and it frequently brings an fresh perspective on the issues of the day. That's the case with its article defending Michael Ignatieff, by Shefa Siegel. Even if you think the Kennedy School at Harvard is an intel organization for the American empire, you may enjoy this interesting personal view of the man who is undoubtedly setting the pace

New Chatelaine boss imminent?

Unknown 22:39

The Toronto Star's prolific blogger Antonia Zerbisias has posted that an editor is about to be named for Chatelaine and that it is a Canadian. We were beginning to wonder if the Publisher Kerry Mitchell was trying to get in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most drawn-out executive search in history.

Canadian newsstand finalists announced

Unknown 22:01

The fifth annual Canadian Newsstand Awards finalists have been announced. The release and the complete list of nominees can be found here and all nominated covers may be seen there, too. The winners are announced at a cocktail reception and presentation, Tuesday, June 6 at 5 p.m. during Magazines University at the Old Mill in Toronto. Nominated covers will also be displayed in a special exhibit

Who will pay for watchdog journalism?

Unknown 16:33

[But] the most serious competitive threat to traditional journalism doesn't come from bloggers and their compatriots. It comes instead from businesses that are also using technology's power. They're winning advertising, the other kind of "content" that appears in print publications and broadcasts....What if we're in for a decade or two of decline in the watchdog journalism that takes deep pockets

Ottaw Sun writer accuses Adbusters magazine of anti-semitism

Unknown 15:51

Perhaps it's not a surprise, given the source, but a writer in the Ottawa Sun on Monday accused Adbusters magazine of anti-Semitism. Jordan Michael Smith, in a column headed 'Anti-Semitism still lurks in left', lumps together Islamists and the far left as fellow travellers in such attitudes, while saying that such views won't get much traction in Canada. Smith is a graduate student in political

Atlantic Journalism Awards magazine winners

Unknown 14:09

The gold award winner for magazine articles in the Atlantic Journalism Awards given out on Saturday evening in Halifax was Joanne MacPherson, for her article 'Home Sweet Home' in Saltscapes, Dartmouth. Finalists in this category were Amber Harkins, East Coast Living Magazine, Halifax, for 'Marine Life' and Joshua Samuel, Progress, Halifax, for 'The Birth Of A Company'.The best magazine cover

High end zines; a contradiction in terms?

Unknown 13:47

There is a bull market these days in articles that start out: "The traditional magazine model is dead." Which is how a May 7 article in the New York Times (free sub requ'd), by Jessica Pressler, kicked off when talking about the growth of high-end "zines". Now, aside from the fact that the "zines" she was talking about are to true zines as today's "lofts" are to lofts, there were a lot of

Geist fired by auditor

Unknown 20:33

There must be more to this story: Geist magazine has been expelled by BPA Worldwide, the circulation audit firm, effective April 26. The text of the announcement:At a meeting of the BPA Worldwide Executive Committee held on April 6, 2006, the Committee voted to terminate the BPA Worldwide membership of The Geist Foundation,for violation of Section 10.1.3 of BPA Worldwide Bylaws in that it failed

Gordon Badger, a founder of Homemaker's dies

Unknown 19:22

One of the founders of Homemaker's magazine, Gordon Badger, passed away April 30. His death notice in the Globe and Mail said the death, aged 70, was unexpected. He had apparently married just last month and had taken his new bride Marilyn Weir to rural Ireland for a honeymoon.Badger, a chartered accountant, had been one of the small group that launched Comac Communications Limited and, with

Quote, unquote

Unknown 21:19

"We're not narrow, we're svelte."-- Peter Kaplan, editor of The New York Observer, commenting on announced reduction in width of the paper to save money."Salmon, sliced thinner"-- headline in the Media Mob column in the Observer (the paper is printed on salmon-pink newsprint)

The demise of the weak and the small

Unknown 20:59

Rob Gregory, group publisher of Maxim, and Dana Fields, executive publisher of FHM were recently interviewed by Media Life about the current state of men's magazines, in light of the recent slump in advertising sales for the category. They were also asked about the demise of Cargo. Here's their response to two of the questions. You can read the rest here.Q: What is the next big trend in men's

Transcontinental makes deal with Meredith to publish "Canadian" edition of More magazine

Unknown 19:08

The fox is in the barnyard, but apparently we are also inviting him into the henhouse. Transcontinental Media has so enjoyed its partnership with Elle magazine (publishing Elle Quebec and Elle Canada) that it has now announced that it will publish a Canadian editon of the popular U.S. women's magazine More, starting in spring 2007.The editor-in-chief will be Diane Rinehart, the former editor of

Warrior cops interview with Seymour Hersh

Unknown 18:51

In what must be a coup for a small magazine published out of Montreal, the current issue of Warrior carries an interview by contributing editor and Democracy Now producer Aaron Mate with muckraking journalist Seymour Hersh.Mate writes: "In an era when journalists have become nothing but gatekeepers for long and beguiling echo chambers, that a man like Hersh is still scooping, still making his

Torstar says Scoop launch cost $1 million

Unknown 18:40

Information released at the annual general meeting of Torstar Corporation indicate the Weekly Scoop launch last fall, cost $1 million and Torstar executives were quoted yesterday saying they expect the losses to be in excess of $3-million this year, because of slower than anticipated ad sales and the cost of promotions such as the last week's sale of the magazine with a cover price of 25 cents

Chair of CMAJ governance panel steps down for health reasons

Unknown 22:44

In yet another loose strand of a story that has unravelled steadily over the past few months, the chair of the panel launched by the Canadian Medical Association to recommend a new governance structure for the Canadian Medical Association Journal has resigned, for health reasons. The panel was to have reported back to the association in June, but that now seems unlikely. Mr. Justice Antonio Lamer

U.S. Postal Service hikes mag rates by 11.4%

Unknown 21:51

The U.S. Postal Service today filed a rate case for a system-wide increase of 8.5 per cent, with magazines looking at an average of 11.4%. Combined with the 5.4 per cent postal increase in January, says Folio: in a bulletin to its subscribers, U.S. magazines will have seen rates go up by 17.4% in a year and a half.

Kathryn Swan to sell for new Transcon "hybrid"

Unknown 20:03

Kathryn Swan, who resigned as Publisher of Torstar's Weekly Scoop in February, has emerged again handling business development for a new publication being developed by Transcontinental Media. This is likely one of the new "hybrid" magadirectories that Transcon is to produce in cooperation with the Yellow Pages group. More on mastheadonline (sub'n requ'd)Meanwhile, Advertising Manager Tracy Day

Quote, unquote

Unknown 17:33

"This is truly a disruptive era for traditional media businesses. And from all that I read, and from everyone I talk with, I don’t think anyone can safely predict which business models are going to take hold and which businesses are going to fade away. New technologies are empowering consumers to create and share their own content. People expect to be able to skip commercials on television and

Handicapping the US mag awards

Unknown 17:23

Here's a fun way to pass the time. Joe Friedman, who writes the column Media Web in MarketWatch, has handicapped the (U.S.) National Magazine Awards, giving his picks and possible "dark horses" for some of the categories. Wish we'd thought of it. Anyone want to make their own list for the (Canadian) National Magazine Awards?

Michael Enright comes to the defence of Western Standard

Unknown 16:58

In his opening essay recently on the Sunday Edition, CBC host Michael Enright came to the aid of the Western Standard in its struggle with the Alberta Human Rights Commission over the Standard's decision to publish the so-called "Danish cartoons". Enright notes that most mainstream media demurred from publishing the cartoons, an act which he compared to reporting an earthquake without showing

University Affairs article wins writer health research medal

Unknown 16:11

Toronto freelance writer Michael Smith wrote a "scientific whodunit" for University Affairs magazine (published by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada). And the story of the tragedy and perseverance that yielded powerful new drugs has won this year's sanofi pasteur Medal for Excellence in Health Research Journalism, presented by Canadians for Health Research (CHR).The award --

Government repudiates 2/3 of pledged support for Canada Council

Unknown 05:09

The federal Conservative government has effectively repudiated two-thirds of a $150 million cash injection promised last fall to the The Canada Council for the Arts. The budget announced on Tuesday gives the Council a mere $20 million in 2006-2007 and $30 million in 2007-2008.And while Heritage Minister Bev Oda has said she'll work with the arts community to understand its needs, the flat fact

Laframboise named exec editor of LOULOU

Unknown 04:45

Claude Laframboise, until now editorial director of Mariage Québec (and, before that, Montrealeditor of Fashion magazine), has been named executive editor of LOULOU's English and French editions."I am absolutely thrilled with this challenge," said Laframboise, "because I believe in shopping magazines, which reflect a new consumer reality. LOULOU's success, both with consumers and with advertisers

Now THAT'S recycling

Unknown 18:52

Metro, the free daily newspaper that litters the Toronto and Montreal subway is apparently trying to do something about this problem, in New York. Uniformed attendants will 'recycle' up to 40,000 copies a week, cleaning them up and smoothing them, stamping them "Recycled" and handing them out to people over the lunch hour. We could not make this up.

John Macfarlane to receive National Magazine Award for Outstanding Achievement

Unknown 15:22

The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement has been one of the outstanding achievements of the National Magazine Awards. It is an opportunity to highlight people who have made a real difference in this business and it has created an enviable and hard-to-join club. Entering that select group this year is John Macfarlane, the Editor of Toronto Life and Vice-President of Strategic Development

Walrus lumbers away with 49 Magawards nominations

Unknown 02:17

The Walrus has been nominated an astounding 49 times* for this year's National Magazine Awards. The nominees represent over 300 articles in 75 different magazines, and were chosen from over 2,300 total entries. Other top nominees were Toronto Life (24 nominations) and the late Saturday Night (20 nominations). L’actualité got 18 nominations, Explore 14 and Toro 13. The full list of nominees can be

Quote, unquote

Unknown 20:52

"A problem for many magazine publishers is that they serve several customer segments, forcing a dual focus, or sometimes a focus on more than two audiences. That’s the brutal reality of static media. To get higher circulation, magazines must go broad, even some of the more-narrowly focused enthusiast publications. Thus, any customer buying a single issue, or subscribing, gets something a lot less

Masthead reports draft guidelines for advertising

Unknown 20:33

Like a good investigative reporter he is, Masthead editor Bill Shields has revealed some of the changes being proposed for industry advertising guidelines. The Canadian Society of Magazine Editors guidelines have been in the process of revision for some months by a broad industry working group. Read more about it here. [Fair disclosure: I sit on the task force and the final version hasn't been

With TQ, is Globe heavying up on contract publishing?

Unknown 16:23

The church and state boundaries get fuzzier by the day. The most recent example was TQ magazine, published by the Globe and Mail and distributed last Wednesday. In fact, it is a handsome and interesting magazine (TQ stands for Technology Quarterly), with a lot of well-written and presented articles about technology (must make Backbone wonder, given that it is distributed by the Globe). But there

Storyteller magazine editor shortlisted for Arthur Ellis prize

Unknown 11:15

Melanie Fogel, the editor of Storyteller magazine, has been shortlisted for Arthur Ellis Award, this country's top prize for excellence in crime writing.She was nominated for Best Short Story for her story "Plenty of Time" in When Boomers Go Bad (Rendezvous). The Arthur Ellis prize is named after Canada's last official hangman. Winners of the award will be announced by the Crime Writers of Canada

The three per cent club

Unknown 11:00

The Time magazine 100 is on newsstands today and three Canadians made the list: Basketball MVP Steve Nash is a Hero and Icon; Stewart Butterfield of Vancouver who, with his American-born wife Caterina Fake, created the photo-sharing site Flickr, is a Builder and Titan Filmmaker Jeffrey Skoll is an Artist & Entertainer Apparently, there were no Canadians deemed worthy of being Scientists

Blurb taken out of context, says Salutin

Unknown 20:51

In his Globe and Mail column of today (published also on rabble.ca) Rick Salutin takes a shot at Maclean's magazine for using, as part of a promotion, a single, out-of-context quote from something he said around the time of the magazine's redesign and relaunch. He offers to provide some alternate copy whose intent can't be misinterpreted: “Don't blame me if you subscribed to this mean-spirited

Good news, sort of, sometimes

Unknown 20:39

There was even some good news for magazine publishers at this week's conference of the Magazine Publishers of America, according to an article in Ad Age. Amidst all the 'digital sky is falling' stories of recent weeks and months, there were practical or at least do-able pieces of advice that was taken in by some of the biggest of wigs in the U.S. side of the industry. For instance, one piece of

Rival medical journal may be launched

Unknown 12:30

As anticipated, the members of the editorial board of the Canadian Medical Association Journal who resigned over the firing of the journal's two most senior editors are planning to launch an international journal of their own, according to a story in the Globe and Mail. Indications are it would be electronic.