Canadian biz magazines to merge in 2014

Canadian Business magazine is merging with PROFIT and the combined publication will put out a reduced number of issues, Rogers Communications Inc. announced Monday.

Christine Dobby of the Financial Post writes, “The Toronto-based telecom giant’s publishing division owns both of the titles and said in a statement the new magazine, which will operate under the Canadian Business brand, will publish monthly, starting Jan. 16.

“It will also put out two PROFIT-themed ‘bonus’ issues, according to the press release.

“Previously, Canadian Business published closer to two issues per month, while the entrepreneurial-themed PROFIT came out six times a year. Rogers says the combined magazine will have a projected readership of more than one million.

“‘We felt that we had two very strong brands that were serving complementary audiences,’ Ian Portsmouth, publisher of the new Canadian Business and former publisher and editor of PROFIT, said in an interview. ‘Our feeling was that if you’re not changing in this marketplace you’re falling behind.’

“He noted that the two magazines will continue to exist online as brands of their own.”

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