Gay publisher Xtra to embrace digital, close print

Pink Triangle Press expands digital operations; print editions to fold in mid-February

TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Pink Triangle Press (PTP), Canada's leading gay and lesbian publisher, today announced a major strategic re-positioning to an all-digital publishing company. As a result, next month PTP will close print editions of the Xtra gay and lesbian community newspapers in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

PTP will focus on developing its journalism website DailyXtra.com and gay adult dating website Squirt.org. The all-digital direction is a result of an eight-month strategic assessment process senior management at PTP began in spring 2014.

"We have concluded that a complete transition to digital media offers the best opportunity to continue to engage our audiences over the long term. The move to all-digital journalism will bring with it significant benefits — a wider audience for PTP's message, greater currency, more effective advocacy, and, global news combined with local action," says Ken Popert, Executive Director and President of PTP.

"We have a good track record of online engagement through Daily Xtra and other channels like YouTube. Most of our revenues already come through digital membership sales in the adult dating space, where we've had great success building a growing online community. We are looking to hone our journalism focus and develop a number of our unique strengths," says David Walberg, CEO of Digital Media at PTP.

The final issues of Xtra Vancouver and Xtra Ottawa will appear on streets on February 12, 2015. The Toronto edition of Xtra will close on the newspaper's 31^st anniversary; final issue on streets on February 19, 2015.

The newspaper closures will result next month in a staff reduction of 12 full-time employees from the company's publishing and administration divisions. As a digital publisher, PTP will go on to employ 57 people in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

Founded in 1971 to advance the struggle for sexual liberation, PTP's defining activity is lesbian and gay journalism. Xtra Toronto was launched in February 1984. PTP launched editions of Xtra in Vancouver and Ottawa in 1993, creating Canada's first and only national gay and lesbian media group.

For a longer version of this press release, please visit:
http://dailyxtra.com/world/news/gay-publisher-xtra-embrace-digital-close-print-97806

SOURCE Pink Triangle Press

For more information or interviews, please contact: Brandon Matheson, Director of Publishing and Publisher & Editor-in-chief, 416-644-5242, [email protected]; Ken Hickling (Bilingual; English/French), Director of Advertising, 514-243-8422, [email protected]; David Walberg, CEO of Digital Media, 416-644-5211, [email protected]; Ken Popert, Executive Director and President, 416-644-5222, [email protected]