Periodical Publishing Policy and Programs Directorate
Who we are
The Periodical Publishing Policy and Programs Directorate is responsible for most of the federal government’s programs, policies, laws, and regulations that support the Canadian magazine and newspaper industries. Beginning this year, we are part of the new Cultural Industries Branch at the Department of Canadian Heritage, as shown in the following chart:
The Periodical Policy Framework
We carry out our mandate in two ways: first, through grants and contributions programs that provide direct funding to eligible Canadian magazines, community newspapers, and periodical industry associations, and, second, through non-spending measures such as policies, laws, and regulations.
Funding Programs
We administer two funding programs: the Canada Magazine Fund (CMF) and the Publications Assistance Program (PAP). In 2005-2006, the Directorate's budget for direct funding was $65.4M, which was distributed to approximately 1,200 magazines, community newspapers, and industry associations across the country.
Canadian Heritage’s periodical funding programs support the production of Canadian editorial content and the distribution of that content to Canadian readers. They also assist with business development projects for small publishers and industry association projects that contribute to the success of the industry as a whole.
Non-Spending Measures
The funding programs are complemented by non-spending regulatory measures designed to create winning conditions for Canadian periodical publishers. The Foreign Publishers Advertising Services Act, foreign investment policies for periodicals, and Sections 19 and 19.01 of the Income Tax Act ensure that foreign publishers competing in the Canadian advertising market invest in the creation of Canadian content. They are also intended to limit non-Canadian ownership of newspapers and magazines.
Results
Working together, the funding programs and non-spending measures are designed to generate the following results:
- Canadian content for Canadian readers – a steadily increasing and diverse selection of titles available to Canadian readers.
- Level playing field for Canadian publishers – Canadian publishers can effectively compete for advertising dollars.
[ Previous section | Table of contents | Next section ]