Masthead News Archives
November 1999
Robert Fulford leaves The Globe for the Post
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 30, 1999: Today marks former Saturday Night editor Robert Fulford's last column on ideas for The Globe and Mail. Starting next week Fulford will be contributing a similar column to The Globe's archrival, the National Post. In a brief e-mail note sent today to "friends, colleagues and readers," he notes that the move marks "a big change in my life." No reason was given for the shift. Fulford, who edited Saturday Night from 1968 to 1987, also writes a monthly media column for Toronto Life and contributes to a number of Canadian magazines. The current November/December issue of Masthead, in fact, includes an essay by Fulford on the contribution of magazines to Canadian society.
Contact: robert.fulford@utoronto.ca
--The Editor
Canadian Geo launches 70th anniversary edition
Ottawa, Ont., Nov. 29, 1999: Canadian Geographic celebrated its 70th anniversary this month during National Geography Week, complete with the launch of a special commemorative edition and an accompanying fold-out wall map of Canada. With the theme "Finding our way," the milestone edition offers an in-depth look at Canada's prowess at mapping everything from "uncharted places to cyberspaces." According to editor Rick Boychuk, cartography is ingrained in the Canadian psyche. "We're the world's biggest mappers, and we wanted to explore that," says Boychuk, explaining that the special issue examines Canada's early map-makers through to the likes of today's remote sensing technology. "The mapping sensibility is still with us," he says. As for the accompanying wall map, 300,000 copies have been printed, complete with the new territory of Nunavut, the Trans Canada Trail, National Parks and other heritage sites.
Contact: 613-745-4629
--The Editor
Truckers can now get food, gas and a mag
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 26, 1999: Today's Trucking publisher New Communications has rolled out a new lifestyle magazine serving heavy truck drivers. Entitled highwaySTAR, the new tab-format monthly hit the road in September to reach what New Communications believes is an underserved segment of the trucking market. According to publisher Niel Hiscox, highwaySTAR deals with issues facing owner/operators and company drivers, who typically spend 23 days of the month on the road. Editorial covers everything from family issues and career management to trucking trends and driver profiles. Distributed via roadside diners and truck stops across Canada, highwaySTAR carries ads for truck and tire manufacturers, oil companies and trucking firms. Toronto, Ont.-based New Communications also publishes Today's Trucking, which covers the business side of trucking, and the buy-and-sell guide Truck & Trailer.
Contact: 416-614-2200
Frequency: monthly
Circulation: 43,000
Cover price: free
Subscription: $29.95
Colour ad: $4,645
--Deanna Rosolen
ROB Mag launches new investment guide
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 25, 1999: Report on Business Magazine hopes its newly launched standalone investment guide enjoys a lengthy shelf life. "It's very much something we hope people will keep," publisher Stephen Petherbridge says of Value Investing Guide, which debuted last month. "It's not meant to be a magazine you read and then toss out." According to Petherbridge, the magazine-format guide offers tips based on data mined from ROB Mag's 15-year-old "Top 1,000" database of Canadian companies and financial data. That data was delivered to a firm of analysts who then made projections for company earnings. Included with the investment tips are how-to articles. The standard-sized glossy had an initial print run of 210,000, with 190,000 copies mailed to subscribers and the balance sent to newsstands. Ads included those from automotive, investment, technology, beverage and alcohol companies.
Contact: 416-585-5406
--Deanna Rosolen
Rogers exec bags Ad Club of Toronto award
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 24, 1999: For the third year in a row, a Rogers Media executive has received The Advertising Club of Toronto's Award of Merit for Magazines. Reg Finlayson, director of business development with The Women's Group, received the honour today during the Club's annual Magazine Day luncheon and panel discussion. Last year the award went to then Canadian Business publisher Paul Jones (now publisher of Maclean's and senior vice-president of Rogers Media), and the year before that to Lee Simpson, who stepped down in late October as vice-president and group publisher of The Women's Group (see "Lee Simpson resigns" in the October 199 Daily News archives). The other two past winners of the five-year-old award are Multi-Vision Publishing president and CEO Greg MacNeil, and Jeff Shearer, who was fêted in 1996 during his reign as publisher of Saturday Night. Established in 1995, the Award of Merit is designed to "recognize and celebrate" outstanding and ongoing contributions to the industry. Today's event, which was held at the Toronto Hilton, also featured a panel discussion on the future of the magazine industry in the new millennium.
Contact: 416-537-2604, ext. 225 (Kathryn Bertsch, director of the Advertising Club of Toronto
--The Editor
CMPA says still no official word on subsidies
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 23, 1999: The Canadian Magazine Publishers Association has distanced itself from a report in the Saturday edition of the National Post claiming Ottawa was poised to announce a $50-million subsidy package for the industry. In a special bulletin sent via e-mail to CMPA members yesterday, executive director Mark Jamison stressed that as far as the CMPA was concerned, the size and shape of the subsidy package remains uncertain. Jamison's remarks echo those of John Thomson, point man on the joint CMPA-Canadian Business Press committee that has been consulting on a package with officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH). According to Thomson, there has never been any official acknowledgement of the monetary scope of any proposed subsidy package. It is now known that proposals from DCH are now before cabinet, but there has yet to be any official word on when a package will be announced. For his part, Thomson says he has been assured that he will be contacted the night before any announcement is made. As of last night, at least, he had yet to receive word. The full text of Jamison's message is posted below: Saturday's National Post (Toronto edition) and the Ottawa Citizen carried a story saying that Minister Copps is likely to announce, this week, $50 million in support of the Canadian magazine industry. The $50 million is intended to partly address lost revenues from
advertising sales which may go to U.S. split-run magazines. As you know, CMPA executive officers and staff have met with senior Department of Canadian Heritage officials as part of the government's consultations. With representatives of the Canadian Business Press, CMPA has encourged DCH to include measures to support Candian content production in the face of potential impact on advertising sevices revenue. CMPA has also encouraged support for the unique needs of small magazines as per DCH ongoing consultations with small magazines. Additionally, we have encouraged the government to support co-operative industry programs including national Canadian magazine promotions, and the gathering and dissemination of accurate and useful data on a broad range of key issues. At every opportunity, CMPA is proposing broad consultations on the specific design of any programs. While we do anticipate an announcement from the Minister shortly, we are not certain that it will be this week, what the design of programs will be or how much assistance will be available. You will be updated by the CMPA offices as more information becomes
available."
Contact: 416-504-0274
--The Editor
Tribute redesigns as new competition arrives
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 22, 1999: Increasing competition in the movie mag market was the impetus behind Tribute's recently unveiled redesign, says Catherine Bridgman, vice-president publishing, North America. "We made it clearer. We made it easier to read. We made it more pleasing to the eye," Bridgman says of the Toronto-based title's new look. "We added continuity and colour among the pages. We changed some of our slugs just to modernize it as well." The redesign was introduced with the giveaway's October issue. Along with the new graphic design, Tribute also now covers more lifestyle topics such as fashion and beauty, notes Bridgman. The changes were quickly followed by this month's launch of Famous, the new in-theatre monthly for Famous Players cinemas (watch future Masthead Online postings for further details on this launch).
Contact: 416-445-0544
--Deanna Rosolen

Music mag expands content, gets new look
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 19, 1999: As of its current October/November issue, Access has become a little more, well, accessible. According to art director Angela Caunce, the magazine is now cleaner and easier to read, focusing more on the content rather than the design. Along with the new look, Caunce says the music mag has expanded it editorial content to encompass coverage of lifestyle topics such as travel, film and technology. And in line with that change, Access has also adopted a new tagline : "All areas." Published by Toronto-based Trafalgar Productions, Access is a sister publicaiton to Wal-Mart Profile on Entertainment.
Contact: 416-335-0747
--Deanna Rosolen

Time and FASHION ally to reach affluent men
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 18, 1999: What could Toronto Life FASHION and Time's Canadian edition possibly have in common? Men with money, it would seem. Or at least access to them. Both the November Fashion and Time's Oct. 11 issue test ran a men's fashion pull-out ostensibly targeting moneyed fellas aged 18 to 49 with personal incomes of $75,000. Entitled projections, the piece was a "fashion report" covering trends and grooming, says FASHION publisher Giorgina Bigioni, complete with ads for colognes, designer clothing, cars, shaving gear and booze. While FASHION was responsible for supplying the editorial, both magazines contributed to filling the supplement with ads. Between both titles, the full-colour glossy section had a print run of roughly 475,000. Time publisher Martin White says the partnership between the two disparate magazines was forged--ironically--because of their different audiences: while Time's readership is primarily male, Fashion's is mostly female. The idea, explains Bigioni, was to reach men directly via Time, while using FASHION to get to men through its women readers. After all, she notes, women are not only "huge gift givers," they also influence what men buy. Apparently, response has been positive: projections will appear twice more in 2000 in both titles (sometime in April and September for Time, and in FASHION's May and October issues).
Contact: 416-364-3334 (FASHION); 416-929-1115 (Time)
--Deanna Rosolen
Computer title touts new look, anniversary
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 17, 1999: Canadian Computer Wholesaler has been undergoing a rolling redesign since it introduced a new logo with its June issue. Along with shortening the title to CCW in the nameplate, other changes include a new tagline ("The technology source for Canada's computing channel"), new section headers and more colour. On the editorial side, meanwhile, the publication's focus has shifted from "who's who" among resellers to more product information. According to national sales manager Jamie Leighton, the magazine's new look is scheduled to be officially plugged on Dec, 2 in conjunction with its fifth anniversary party. Sister title Toronto Computes! will also take advantage of the occasion to celebrate its 15th anniversary and unveil a special commemorative issue, complete with articles on the history of PCs, hardware and software.
Contact: 416-588-6818
--Deanna Rosolen
City book unveils completely new look
Regina, Sask., Nov. 16, 1999: Regina's independent city book--prairie dog--has a new look, a new frequency and several new editorial departments.
"Basically it's been a front-to-back makeover," says sales and marketing manager Terry Morash. The changes were introduced at a relaunch party last month. Along with upping its monthly frequency to every two weeks, the free newsprint tab also now sports a slightly smaller trim size, new text and header fonts, and a new logo. As for additions to the editorial, prairie dog now offers regular dining and book reviews and a health column. Also new are longer, in-depth features with an investigative slant, says Morash. Hand-in-hand with the changes is a new rate for a one-time, full-page, black-and-white ad: $1,350.
Contact: 306-757-7844
--Deanna Rosolen
Borderlines loses battle for funds, closes shop
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 15, 1999: Borderlines, the Toronto-based alternative journal on Canadian culture, art and politics, is no more. According to editorial board member Stan Fogel, constant "battling for funds" the last three years finally took its toll and the magazine officially stopped publishing in July. The award-winning journal had historically enjoyed funding from both The Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), but grants had been steadily declining in recent years. And the OAC's recent change in eligibility requirements (see "Art attack," July/August 1999) evidently helped push the title over the edge. The 15-year-old quarterly--it won the Utne Reader's Alternative Press Award for Cultural Criticism in 1996--had a circulation of 3,500 at the time of its demise.
Contact: 1-888-752-4636
--Deanna Rosolen
New chief rep for Media Information Network
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 12, 1999: The Media Information Network--home to Canadian Advertising Rates and Data (CARD)--has named a new district sales manager for Eastern Canada. The appointment of Louisa Gagnon, formerly with American Publishers Representatives, was announced today by way of press release. Gagnon also lists positions with Atlantis Multinet Sales and Western Broadcast Sales on her résumé. Along with selling advertising in CARD, Gagnon will also rep all other products within The Media Information Network, including Ethnic Media & Markets, Publications Profiles, The National List of Advertisers and others. The Media Information Network is owned by Toronto-based Rogers Media Inc.
Contact: 416-596-5891
--The Editor
Marketing's editorial team undergoes changes
Ottawa, Ont., Nov. 11, 1999: The editorial masthead at Marketing magazine has undergone somewhat of a transformation this past fall, typified by a raft of departures, changes and promotions. Near the top of the masthead, former managing editor Angela Kryhul has stepped back from her day-to-day responsibilities and is now editor-at-large. Replacing Kryhul as ME is former reports editor Jim McElgunn. Laura Medcalf has returned from maternity leave to assume the new title of associate editor, news. Margie Nearing, who had been filling in for Medcalf, is staying on as associate editor, features and reports. Former Plesman Communications editor Paul Ferriss is now news editor, replacing Leslie McNab, who is touring the South Pacific and Asia. Finally at the Rogers Media title, contract staff writer Chris Daniels has been brought on as a full-time staffer, former summer intern Shawna Cohen is now a contract staff writer, and Montreal correspondent Hélèna Katz has gone to Europe to conduct research for a book.
Contact: 416-596-5858
--The Editor
New federal privacy law now before Senate
Ottawa, Ont., Nov. 10, 1999: Marketers across the land have their fingers crossed as Bill C-6 now wends its way through the Senate, having passed third reading in the House of Commons late last month. Formerly known as Bill C-54, the new federal privacy legislation applies to all businesses that collect and distribute personal information for commercial purposes. For magazines, the proposed law will govern the way publishers traffic in subscriber information. Bill C-6 is of particular interest to list managers since it establishes the legality of "negative option consent." To date, magazine industry practice has been to assume that subscribers automatically permit their names to be rented out if they do not indicate otherwise when given the chance. Canadian Marketing Association president and CEO John Gustavson says he's optimistic the Bill will receive royal assent "before Christmas," and that those already in compliance with the CMA's existing privacy guidelines are for the most part already in line with the legislation (it comes into effect 12 months after royal assent). Magazine publishers will have to do some fine tuning, he says, such as "making sure there's someone at management level assigned to be responsible" for dealing with readers who feel their privacy has been invaded. But all in all, says Gustavson, it should be business as usual.
Contact: 416-391-2362
--William Shields
Former WUC chief named to head up BPC
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 9, 1999: A former executive director of The Writers' Union of Canada has been appointed executive director of the Book and Periodical Council (BPC). News of Mary Kainer's appointment was announced last month. She replaces Nancy Fleming, who is retiring after serving for 20 years as the Toronto-based BPC's executive director. "I believe that [Kainer] has the intelligence and strengths necessary to pick up the leadership of the council from Nancy's capable hands and to take it to the next century," observes past-president Warren Wilkins, president of Webcom Inc. The apex organization for associations within the writing, publishing, and production sectors of the book and periodical industries, the BPC is now in its 25th year. Members include: Association of Canadian Book Wholesalers; Association of Canadian Publishers; Association of Canadian University Presses; Canadian Authors Association; Canadian Book Manufacturers' Association; Canadian Booksellers Association; Canadian Library Association; Canadian Magazine Publishers Association; Canadian Publishers' Council; Editors' Association of Canada; League of Canadian Poets; Periodical Marketers of Canada; and The Writers' Union of Canada.
Contact: 416-975-9366
--The Editor
Transcon celebrates 100 years of hockey
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 8, 1999: The Hockey News has released another special collector's edition, this one celebrating the past 100 years of hockey. Century of Hockey hit Canadian newsstands starting last Monday, while U.S. retailers were slated to start stocking their magazine racks today. "With Century of Hockey we set out to capture the spirit of hockey in the 20th century through pictures and season-by-season snapshots," says editor-in-chief Steven Dryden. Featuring an in-depth look at ice hockey between 1900 and 2000, the Transcontinental Publishing title also lists the century's top 40 individual NHL seasons, as ranked by former players, executives and the media. Previously issued spin-off editions from The Hockey News include The Top 100 NHL Players of All Time and Total Gretzky, among others.
Contact: 416-340-8000
--The Editor
Crailer title aims to attract broader readership
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 5, 1999: When it decided to target a wider audience than its core readership of architects and interior designers, Canadian Interiors reinvented itself and hit the newsstands. The new look and editorial focus debuted with the Crailer Communications title's recent September/October issue. "Everything is new," says publisher Sheri Craig. "There's nothing in here that's the same as before." The Toronto-based magazine is now perfect-bound, for example, with a larger trim size and matte paper replacing its previous glossy format. Also new are several editorial departments. While still geared to architects and interior designers, Canadian Interiors also now targets "educated" consumers, says Craig.
Contact: 416-966-9944
--Deanna Rosolen
Elm Street explores new role for Cameron
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 4, 1999: Multi-Vision Publishing is currently looking for someone to take over the day-to-day responsibilities of guiding Elm Street magazine's editorial team. Current editor-in-chief Stevie Cameron recently signed a multi-book deal "and her role has to change as a result of that," Multi-Vision president and CEO Greg MacNeil told Masthead Online earlier today. "We hope there's some kind of continuing relationship because we like her and she likes us," said MacNeil, noting that Cameron's other writing commitments preclude her from carrying on with her current Elm Street duties. "Our relationship needs probably a month to figure out, to look at our options, and integrate with what she wants to do," he said. MacNeil acknowledged that the extent of Cameron's ongoing involvement in his flagship title depends on who he hires to take over the editorial reins. According to MacNeil, she could conceivably carry on as editor-in-chief at least in name if such an arrangement is palatable to the incoming editor. At minimum, he said, Cameron will stay on as a contributing editor, most likely writing a regular column. As well, she has already said she would like to head-up the magazine's foray onto the Internet, said MacNeil. Meanwhile, the editor of Multi-Vision's HealthWatch and Owl Canadian Family, Kristin Jenkins, has announced that she will leaving by the middle of this month to become the editorial director of an Internet company. A replacement for Jenkins, who was with Multi-Vision for four years, will be announced next week, said MacNeil. As for rumours making the rounds in Toronto's print media circles that executive editor Elizabeth Renzetti is also poised to leave, Renzetti herself says that news of her departure is very much premature. "What I can say is this is a terrific place and I want to continue working here," Renzetti told Masthead Online today, acknowledging that the rumours stem from the fact that her husband--Globe reporter Doug Saunders--has been eyeing a new post in California. "I'd be a fool to want to leave," she noted, but added, "I have no idea what the new year will bring."
Contact: 416-595-9944
--The Editor
Rogers Media relaunches hi-tech trade mag
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 3, 1999: Canadian Computer Reseller unveiled a new look, a new name and a new frequency last night before an audience of hi-tech executives at the tony Courthouse restaurant in downtown Toronto. The Rogers Media Inc. title will now be published 21 times a year as Channel Business, or CBiz for short, to reflect its growing readership beyond technology resellers. The first issue of the new magazine is dated Nov. 3. And this morning, the 12-year-old publication's 9,000 subscribers received an inaugural e-mail touting the perfect-bound book's accompanying Web site (www.cbizmag.com). The new site will concentrate on providing weekly industry-specific news, while the magazine devotes itself to related analyses, features and columns. According to publisher Kathryn Swan, the changes address the fact that the magazine also now counts systems integrators, consultants, independent software vendors, service providers, distributors and others among its readers. "We finally took the confusion out of the name," she told last night's audience, explaining that the magazine no longer caters solely to resellers.
Contact: 416-596-2668
Frequency: 21/year
Circulation: 17,000
Cover price: n/a
Subscription: $60
Colour ad: $4,633
--The Editor
Today's Parent gets new look for tomorrow
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 2, 1999: A "freshening up" for the new millennium is how Today's Parent editor Linda Lewis describes her book's recent makeover, which debuted with the current November issue. The most evident changes can be found in the parenting title's front-of-the-book section, "Upfront," which has been revamped to accommodate two new regular features and a two-page section of product reviews. Throughout the Rogers Media magazine, other enhancements include the use of more white space, redesigned department headers and a new treatment for pull-quotes. Observes Lewis: "We're annoyingly calling it ‘new and improved,' but the guts of the magazine, that's not changing." This holiday season, meanwhile, stores across the country are expected to participate in the magazine's new "Top Toy" program, where special stickers are placed on toys that have passed the Today's Parent in-house toy testing program.
Contact: 416-596-8675
--Deanna Rosolen
New title depicts lives and times of ancestors
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 1, 1999: Family Chronicle--"The magazine for families researching their roots"--has a new sister title. History Magazine, which examines social history rather than genealogy, was launched last month by Toronto's Moorshead Magazines Ltd. According to publisher and editor Halvor Moorshead, his new bimonthly serves readers by helping them learn about their forebears' lifestyles. "Once you go back before certain generations, you can find out the names and the dates of your ancestors, but you have very little idea of the lives that they led," says Moorshead. Enter History Magazine, which looks at such components of early North American life as grooming, chores, diet, disease, transportation, the media and war. The standard-sized, full-colour magazine can be found on newsstands across Canada. It is also available by subscription. Targeted advertisers include history and genealogy book publishers and CD manufacturers, history clubs, and makers of gifts for history buffs. History Magazine can also be found on the Web at: www.history-magazine.com.
Contact: 416-491-3699
Frequency: 6/year
Circulation: 15,000
Cover price: $5.50
Subscription: $28
Colour ad: $1,500
--Deanna Rosolen

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Jaded says:
Wow, Torstar really seems to be on a mission to bankrupt one magazine after another....
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Full of terrific information, Thanks!...