Our weekly recap of stories related to the Canadian (and sometimes international) magazine industry, with links for further reading.

OMDC Magazine Fund call for applications

Got a big project in mind for 2008 but lacking the fiscal resources to pull it off? If you're based in Ontario, you can apply for funding through the OMDC Magazine Fund. The OMDC launched a call for applications ealier this week. It also announced details for an information session to take place on May 23 in Toronto.

• OMDC Magazine Fund Info Session... [The Shoestring]
• About the OMDC Magazine Fund

I.D.G. takes the "uncertain and perilous" journey beyond print

This week's must-read piece on publishing comes from the New York Times, which earlier this week ran an article on the International Data Group's move to Web-first publishing. "The excellent thing, and good news, for publishers is that there is life after print—in fact, a better life after print,"  said Patrick J. McGovern, the founder and chairman of I.D.G. Predictably, the piece drew responses from the blogosphere, and some of the takes are just as worthwhile as the original feature.

• Publisher Tested Water Online, Then Dove In [The New York Times]
• Print sucks [BuzzMachine]
• Print is not a burden. Useless drivel is a burden. [rexblog.com]

Good first quarter results for Quebecor Media

The media division saw a first-quarter profit of $58.8 million, up 42.7% from last year. Sustained growth in the cable segment drove the profits, said Pierre Karl Peladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor Inc. Quebecor Media owns TVA Publications, which publishes more than 60 consumer magazines, mostly in Quebec.

• Quebecor Media proft rises 42.7% on revenue growth [The Canadian Press]

New U.S. survey on media consumption habits

Americans aged 24-54 spend an average of 15.1 minutes a day with magazines, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Television Bureau of Advertising and conducted by Nielsen Media Research. This puts magazines at the bottom of the ladder when  with compared television (222.7 minutes), radio (106.5), the Internet (99.7) and newspapers (22.1). Magazines fared better with regards to brand and product awareness, as 14.6% of the 1,246 respondents said they were more likely to learn about products and brands they might like to try in magazines than through other media.

• TVB releases Nielsen suvey of consumption habits  [Advertising Age]