Up Here magazine and Up Here Business to be combined into one

Up Here Publishing Ltd. of Yellowknife is merging its two magazines -- Up Here and Up Here Business -- into one starting in January. In a note to its readers under the headline "We're expanding", the company said

Despite the great successes that Up Here and Up Here Business have had separately, it’s become increasingly obvious that they’re both telling the same story—one of an entrepreneurial Northern people, excelling against great odds....

“Up Here Business was launched seven years ago as a merger of our Far North Oil and Gas and Canadian Diamonds magazines, and grew to be something far greater: a trusted, award-winning resource on everything business in Canada’s North,” says Marion LaVigne, publisher. “An expanded Up Here is the natural progression—it will be the trusted, award-winning resource on everything in Canada’s North.”

Blue Ant merges Outdoor Canada with Outdoor Group Media (Western Sportsman et al)

In a major consolidation of the outdoor publication sector, Outdoor Canada magazine is being merged with Western Sportsman, BC Outdoors and Outdoor Edge in Outdoor Group Media. The deal involves Blue Ant Media  becoming 50% owner of the existing Outdoor Group Media and makes it the largest publisher of outdoor publications in Canada.

As a result, Mark Yelic of Keywest will be the new publisher of Outdoor Canada, while the current editorial and art staff (editor-in-chief Patrick Walsh, managing editor Bob Sexton, associate editor Scott Gardner and art director Sandra Cheung) remain in place and in their offices at Cottage Life Media.

“Our talented and knowledgeable editorial teams look forward to continuing to serve Canada’s passionate outdoor enthusiasts in new and exciting ways,” said Terry Sellwood, president, Cottage Life Media, a division of Blue Ant Media [in a release]. “The merging of this expertise will further enhance the quality of the content for readers on a national level.”

“This exciting new partnership gives the brands, both print and digital, coast-to-coast reach in the hunting and fishing market and a consolidated sales team for turnkey advertising campaigns,” said Mark Yelic, President, Keywest Marketing.

Both ownership groups are privately held media companies. Blue Ant acquired Outdoor Canada in 2011 as part of its purchase of Quarto Communications (later, Cottage Life Media) and is widely invested in television, magazines, mobile and the web. Keywest Marketing has been producing hunting and fishing magazines in western Canada for more than 20 years and co-produces BC-based fishing TV shows. 

Quad/Graphics closure of 5 U.S plants is fallout from takeover of Worldcolor (nee Quebecor World)

As part of integrating World Color Press, which it took over at the first of the year, Quad/Graphics says it will close five of its plants before year's end. The closures, it says, will result in roughly $225 million in pre-tax savings.

A story in Folio: says the five facilities to be closed down are located in: Clarksville, Tennessee; Corinth, Mississippi; Lebanon, Ohio; Reno, Nevada; and Dyersburg, Tennessee. Collectively they employ approximately 2,200 employees, some of whom may find jobs in other Quad/Graphics facilities.

According to Quad chairman, president and CEO Joel Quadracci, “no plant is closing because of employee performance or client service issues, but rather because we are moving work to locations with the most efficient platforms for serving our clients’ needs. To the extent possible, we’d like employees to continue with the company and we will review transfer opportunities with them.”