Rogers Media goes digital-first with a bang in its magazine division

[This post has been updated] In a digital-first bombshell, Rogers Media today announced major changes to its magazine publishing operations that will mix wholesale divestment of titles, getting out of the French language and business-to-business market altogether and shifting several well-known titles to digital only.

It will divest itself of Châtelaine, LOULOU, and L'actualité and all of its business-to-business titles. It is discontinuing print publication of FLARE, Sportsnet, MoneySense, and Canadian Business and making them available exclusively on the web and on apps beginning in January.

Magazines that will remain in print will do so with reduced frequency: Maclean's will appear monthly, Chatelaine and Today's Parent 6 times a year. 

"We are going where our audiences are, and doubling-down on digital to grow our consumer magazine brands," said Rick Brace, president, Rogers Media. "We have already made significant investments in creating content and making it available on digital platforms, including Texture, Sportsnet NOW, and Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE, and today's announcement builds on that."

Steve Maich, senior vice president of digital content & publishing, Rogers Media, said

"It's been clear for some time now that Canadians are moving from print to digital, and our job is to keep pace with the changes our audiences are demanding.  We are so much more than a collection of magazine brands, and we've seen rapid growth on our digital platforms over the past few years.  Now is the time for us to accelerate that shift." 

Rogers says it has committed more than $35 million in capital and marketing to create and promote digital content and transition the business to a digital-first infrastructure. 
The company's release said that it has a combined digital reach of 3.8 million Canadians a month for the first half of 2016, up 30% year over year.

Print subscribers will continue to receive their magazines until the end of the year and may choose to choose among several options thereafter, including receiving a full refund on their accounts.

There was no immediate information about staff attrition at the magazines that remain or are going digital only, nor any information about the employment impact on b2b and French language publishing staff. 

[Update] Among the b2b publications now on the block: The Medical Post, Marketing, Canadian Grocer,  Benefits Canada, Canadian Insurance Broker, Advisor's Edge, Avantages, Corporate Risk and Conseiller.