Ontario magazine fund info sessions next week; deadline July 10

Ontario-based magazine publishers are being encouraged to attend either an in-person or webinar information session about the Ontario Media Development Corporation Magazine Fund. 

Advanced registration is required for both. Deadline for both the fund and the tax credit is Thursday, July 10 at 5 p.m.

The in-person session is Tuesday, May 27 at 2:30 (followed at 3:30 by a brief overview of the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.) The session will be held in the OMDC Conference Room - Third Floor, 175 Bloor Street East, South Tower.

The webinar is on Wednesday, May 28 at 2:30. Priority is given to people outside of the GTA and those with accessibility challenges. An invitation will be emailed with link and a password.

The Magazine Fund offers successful applicants up to $75,000 to assist in the growth of their businesses through new strategic and marketing initiatives and new digital activities. 

Guidelines and online application information.

OMDC Magazine Fund deadline is Thursday, Aug 1

The deadline looms for Ontario publishers to apply for the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) Magazine Fund. Applications for the program, which provides funding of up to $75,000 to Canadian-owned, Ontario-based companies to assist in growth and marketing initiatives, are due Thursday, August 1 by 5 p.m.

The Fund now accepts a limited number of applications from publishers of digital-only magazines as well as print and digital publishers and further information about the process can be found at http://www.omdc.on.ca/magazine/Funding.htm

Less than a month 'til deadline for Ontario publishers to apply to OMDC Magazine Fund

For Ontario publishers, the deadline looms for the Ontario Media Development Corporation's Magazine Fund. Applications for 2012-13 are due Wednesday, September 12 for the fund, which offers up to $75,000 to Canadian-owned and -controlled, Ontario-based magazine companies with the aim of assisting strategic business and marketing initiatives.

For 2012, the fund is offering support for a limited number of digital-only magazines and increased emphasis has been placed on seeing greater innovation from all applicants, whether in print or digital. 

All applications are done via an online portal and corporate registration must be made before commencing an application. Applicants may apply for up to two projects, though each must have separate application forms.

OMDC Magazine Fund to reward emphasis on innovation and measurability

The rules and focus of the magazine fund of the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) have been changed and will be in effect come the fund's September 12 deadline. The tweaks to the fund, which provides funding of up to $75,000 to Canadian-owned and controlled, Ontario-based magazines, were announced last week during MagNet and will be further explained at the information sessions scheduled for July 11.

Digital magazines will now be eligible for their share of fund; a limited number of digital magazines will be supported in what the OMDC refers to as a "pilot". And "innovation" will receive greater emphasis and will have greater weight in assessing applications*. The agency is also paying much closer attention to specific, measurable results. So it is better to deliver concrete data about return on investment and jobs created and retained in the province. 

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Ontario trumpets its creative industry strengths, including magazines

[This post has been updated]The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) has created a video to promote the diversity and prodigious output of Ontario's creative sector -- including magazines -- called "We've got it going ON". Among the facts included in the accompanying documentation is that Ontario is Canada's largest publishing centre, with almost half (48%) of all Canadian magazines published in Ontario , and the magazine industry in Ontario created an average of 9,389 direct and indirect jobs annually between 1997 and 2005.

[Update] The OMDC awareness campaign will be showcased in print ads in consumer, business and trade publications, and wide range of placements online. The 30-second ad will be seen during the Oscars on Feb. 27th and during the JUNOS on March 27th. The entire program is intended to reach Ontario consumers who use/consume creative media products and key influencers who can affect policy decisions; and  Businesses which might use the services of, partner with, or invest in, Ontario’s creative media companies.

OMDC thanked the Ontario indie band Metric for making their hit song Gimme Sympathy availablefor the video, the members of ACTRA, and the more than 100 Ontario companies that provided their content for use in the campaign.]

Several magazine-related projects selected for OMDC creative clusters program

Magazines did well out of the Ontario Media Development Corporation's $2.9 million investment in creative industries. The investment in 19 projects from the Entertainment and Creative Clusters Partnership Fund is said to result in a further $7.6 million from 108 partners involved. Among the magazine-related projects (n0 specific dollar amounts announced):

• Magazines Canada, Interactive Ontario, the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario and Hot Docs have partnered with Cultural Careers Council Ontario to develop a business skills mentorship program
• Magazines Canada is to launch Digital Discovery: The Next Generation, building on a previous partnership fund project and enhancing the existing site with dynamic marketing and archiving functions as well as the creation of mobile-friendly websites. There will also be a feasibility study exploring the creation of a unique Canadian digital magazine and content platform system.
• Quill & Quire and The Walrus as leads will be partnered with Open Book Toronto and Open Book Ontario, the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario to to create a series of thematically-related webcasts (audio and video) called the “Open Book Network.” The project will also be supported by Toronto Life magazine.
• NOW magazine is an additional partner in a project led by North by Northeast Conferences Inc. for an interactive conference that connects the film industry with digital interactive companies.

Deadline September 9 for OMDC creative cluster partnership fund

There is a little over a month 'til the deadline for pre-qualification for the Ontario Media Development Corporation's entertainment and creative cluster partnerships fund. All applicants must submit information for pre-qualification by Wednesday, September 9. Final applications are due Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 5 p.m.

• Program guideline packages

• Guidelines and application forms

Toronto economic development director named president of OMDC

The city of Toronto's director of economic development, Karen Thorne-Stone, has been hired to be the new president and chief executive officer of the Ontario Media Development Corporation, beginning at the end of July.

A release from the agency said Thorne-Stone has been with the city of Toronto for 18 years, where she served in a variety of roles, including film commissioner and playing a leadership role in the amalgamation of 7 municipalities into one megacity.

The appointment continues the domination of OMDC by the film and television industry, though it is responsible for all cultural industries including magazines, books, recording and interactive digital media; the announcement of Thorne-Stone's appointment was by chair Kevin Shea, a broadcaster who was appointed about a year ago.

Thorne-Stone fills the position vacated last August by Michelle Frappier, who left to head up the ultimately failed bid to win Toronto the 2015 world exposition. (The president's chair has been filled on an interim basis by Kristine Murphy, who returns now to her position as director of industrial development.)

OMDC magazine fund deadline looms; June 21

Reminder to Ontario magazines that the deadline for application to the Ontario Media Development Corporation Magazine Fund is this Thursday, June 21 at 5 p.m.

Ontario "cluster" funding information session

The next round of applications for the Ontario Ministry of Culture's Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund (administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation) is a couple of months away (August 27 deadline) but an information session for prospective applicants is on June 25, 9:30 am to 11:00 am in the Conference Centre, 175 Bloor Street East, NorthTower, Third Floor, Toronto. Registration for the session can be done here.

The Fund supports strategic partnerships among various creative content industries, including magazines, film and television production, interactive digital media, commercial theatre, and book publishing.

Program details, eligibility criteria and application forms are available at the OMDC website (www.omdc.on.ca) - under Programs / The Entertainment and Creative Partnerships Fund.