Moving pages

Siemens Corp. announced at a European trade fair this week that it is only two years away from marketing paper-thin TV screens that could be stitched into high end magazines. Probably only affordable at first for high impact ads in upscale publications, the materials now cost about C$70 a square metre, but that is bound to come down. It would allow moving pictures and flash animations on the page

Hurry up and wait

Mastheadonline reports that Federal Finance Minister John McCallum is "still considering" an appeal by The Walrus of its turn-down for charitable status. Publisher Ken Alexander is keeping mum but says he's hoping for something next week. Reading between the lines of McCallum's spokesman, it would seem the government wouldn't actually change the antiquated, impenetrable charity law, but would

"It's stylish and hip"

The era of the branded feature (as what used to be called advertorial has come to be called) is blossoming, judging by an article in Media in Canada about a deal featured in the current issue of 2 magazine. (You'll remember that 2 was one of the magazines started a couple of years ago with a $75,000 cash injection by the Ontario Media Development Corporation.)2 is for young, hip, urban couples.

Quote unquote

Somewhat off topic, but delicious nonetheless, a profile by Rachel Donadio in the New York Times Book Review of October 9 about Joan Didion (sparked by her new book The Year of Magical Thinking) refers to Didion writing essays for the Saturday Evening Post in the late '60s: "It was a great place to work," she said, since it was about to go bankrupt and "you could do anything."

A collector's item, perhaps?

The unhappy denouement of the startup magazine Zi is reported in today's Mastheadonline. It seems the front end costs were so high that the publisher has decided before the first issue comes out that there is not going to be a second. Proof once again that a business plan is the best investment a new publisher can make -- a proper and conservative analysis would have avoided such a nasty, and

Hope springs eternal

There are a number of magazine categories in which, despite many false starts, there is a perennial belief that the problem is simply not finding the right formula. Canada is a hard place to start certain kinds of titles. Sports is one. Men's fashion is another. As Samuel Johnson said of second marriages, it is a triumph of hope over experience. The impending launch of Sir, as a spinoff from

Waiting Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews writer/director Rob McKittrick.

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