October 24, 2007

IMPORTANT INDUSTRY INFORMATION

In light of Canada Post Corporation's (CPC) decision to remove its financial support of the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), the Department of Canadian Heritage has been instructed by the Minister to totally review the funding programs offered to the periodical publishing industry and provide a sustainable long-term solution that best serves the interests of the industry as a whole; before CPC funding ends on March 31st 2009.

Whether or not your publication(s) currently receive PAP and/or Canada Magazine Fund (CMF) assistance, you may well be affected by the decisions taken by the Department of Canadian Heritage. It has been made clear that the department is working with a clean slate and the needs of both funding recipients and those not currently receiving funding will be taken into consideration.

As the association representing many of Canada's specialized business and professional publications, the Canadian Business Press (CBP) has been invited to prepare submissions and will soon be consulted on funding strategies under consideration by the Department of Canadian Heritage. In preparing a position on behalf of its members, CBP would like to embrace the ideas and opinions of both members and non-members in order to present a position supported by the largest number of b2b publications as possible.

If you would like to express your views, please complete the attached questionnaire. Your answers and support will be most helpful in assisting CBP to present to Canadian Heritage the business and professional publication industry's views on funding needs. Please use the following link to access the survey.

Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) Funding Programs Questionnaire