Torstar takes the long view with transition at Metroland

The outcome of an orderly succession planning at the giant Metroland Group division of Torstar Inc. results in Ian Oliver, the publisher of the Hamilton Spectator and executive vice-president of Metroland Media Group stepping into the presidency, succeeding Murray Skinner. According to a company release, Skinner, who worked for Metroland and Torstar for 32 years, steps down effective July 1, 2008. In the meantime, he and Oliver will work together on a transition.

Metroland Media Group dominates the publication of community and daily newspapers in Ontario and particularly in the Golden Horseshoe. Oliver, in addition to his duties with the Spec, heads the Metroland West Group, which includes 3 daily newspapers, The Hamilton Spectator, The Record and Guelph Mercury, more than 15 Community Newspapers, including the Oakville Beaver and Burlington Post; one of Canada's largest shows groups, Premier Consumer Shows; a specialty publication division; a magazine division; and 4 print facilities.

The magazine division includes Forever Young, City Parent, The Car Guide, the Boat Guide, eye weekly, East of the City, Boating Business, Real Estate News, and The Business Times.

Paton's YTV Whoa! spins off e-zine

YTV Whoa! magazine, the tween magazine put out by Paton Publishing (a subsidiary of Torstar's Metroland Media Group) has spun off an e-zine.

Whoa! distributes 250,000 copies, four times a year through Pizza Hut restaurants, Indigo/Chapters and newsstands across Canada (plus 75,000 copies of a French version), according to a story in Media in Canada.

An interactive sample of the e-zine can be seen here.

Paton Publishing says the mag's reach is about 880,000 tweens, with about 60% of readers reporting a parent or other adult looked at a copy of Whoa!. The YTV Whoa! e-zine will hit 130,000 subscribers aged 8-12 through YTV.com.

Advertisers can arrange for tie-ins with Pizza Hut placemats and collectable cups, while integrated campaigns often tie-in with links and support to YTV, online and on-air. Top marketers involved in the publication are Hasbro, Kellogg's, Parmalat, Crayola, Warner Bros, Alliance Atlantis, Nintendo, Disney, Wonder Bread, Nickelodeon and Viz Media.