Magazine publishers will see a change this year on how much funding they will receive and when under the Canada Periodical Fund.

Ramzi Saad, director of periodical publishing for Canadian Heritage, was part of a panel at MagNet June 9 discussing public policy and digital economy strategy. He said the $15 million that Canada Post used to provide to the old postal subsidy, which it withdrew two years ago, has been re-confirmed in the new federal budget for the periodical fund ($75 million total).


Payments will now come in two parts, with cheques to be issued in August or September this year (80% of total funding), with another round of cheques expected in January of next year (remaining 20% of funding), he explained. Normally, cheques for the full amount would be expected in June or July.

Last year was the first year of the new CPF, which replaced the old postal subsidy (Publications Assistance Program) and Canada Magazine Fund. Qualifying publishers transitioning to the new CPF were guaranteed an amount between 90% and 150% of what they received under the last year of the old programs. That won't necessarily be the case this year. "The amounts (given) to publishers will change," Saad said.

Copies sold by subscription or newsstand will be treated equally for funding, he said.

A letter will go out prior to the cheques informing publishers how much assistance they will receive. There is no appeal process for an individual publisher if the funding has dropped from last year. 

A strategy is being devised to get cheques out if Canada Post is still on strike by then, noted Saad.

The fund will continue to favour small-to-medium publications, he said.