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Moss Media report Weekly press plays signifi Collectively the nations weekly press represents a national Institution In a country which has far too few national institutions declares the mass Media report Issued last week by the special Senate Committee on Mass Media Although it took much space to list the Inadequacies of the dailies and the influence they pedal across the country the report states that more often than not the nations weekly press is the first the most local the most immediate medium for hundreds of thousands of Canadians The weekly press complements all other media and in so doing plays a significant community role probably beyond the capability of any other medium Rising coats are a problem for all weeklies but most especially for papers whose circulation Is under 2000 Improved production techniques with rising equipment costs are all part of the same Mfflions of readers There are close to 900 weekly newspapers in Canada with an overall circulation around three million And heaven knows how many readers the report states The committee offered criticisms and some suggestions for the weeklies referred to as the community press in the lengthy report The pronounced emphasis on the local scene la understandably paralleled by a very marked degree of individualism on the part of both publishers and editors At the risk of generalizing Canadas weeklies J Ia represent the more Sff conservative end of the countrys fln l press at a profit there has been a Into the business rctentl staff and increasing wage demands Regional weekly newspapers were the first to adopt the most modern composition and printing techniques While In the past each weekly possessed its own printing shop today this Is no longer true Owing to the fact higher spectrum and rural weeklies In particular tend to reflect the more conservative leanings of their readership Editorials seldom take a partisan view of politics a fact which the Committee couldnt comprehend For all these reasons every weekly editor faces a continuing challenge to be both Individual and localized without becoming parochial the report says The simple fact is that a goodly number dont make It The committee suggests that the weekly newspaper can survive only If it has enough advertising but its survival really Isnt very Important If Its pursuit of advertising becomes an end In itself Unlike the dailies where ownership was compared almost to the same as having a licence to print your own money the report concedes the nations weeklies are caught In a costprice squeeze not entirely of their own making Net return to the average weekly owner is less than the average bank loan charge natural concentration and centralization of printing works But basic composition and printing costs of a newspaper remain the same what ever the circulation As a result the smaller the newspaper the higher the proportional cost The average weeklys revenue according to Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association director A MacLean comes per cent from advertising even seven per cent from circulation per cent from printing ana five per cent from miscellaneous sources Sagging national ad vertising revenue Is one of the most critical problems faced by the weekly publisher Raps weeklies The committee rapped the weeklies for not showing greater sales effectiveness when they have such a good sales story to tell Circulation data of the weeklies Is a confused and confusing picture the report states and It must be sorted out In the best Consider increase fees for- election workers Interests of all Two hundred and fortyseven weeklies belong to the Audit Bureau of Circulations which means most to national advertisers but Its critics point out it measures newspaper circulation not quality One of the great virtues of Canadian weeklies the report points out Is not only the fact they are Canadian owned but they are traditionally owned in the community they serve One brief to the committee declares that since the reader la more familiar with those who providing him with information he can more readily make a critical assessment of that information But the report warns this great tradition is beginning to erode and Is In danger of disappearing Disappearing One brief to the committee states it foresees the disappearing of a large number of regional weeklies within five to ten years observing already there have been mergers of two or three weeklies In certain towns The committee notes also that there Is a trend to corporate ownership and the use of co operative production facilities which In turn creates a climate for further concentration The committee registered surprise that It makes economic sense for central offset printing plants to serve weekly newspapers within a ISOmile radius Already Toronto Star Limited has Inland Publishing Co Toronto Telegram has seven and Thomson owns weekly papers The report warns that the time to act Is now If Canada Is to preserve its little newspapers from the giants There Is an admission however that concern about fewer weekly voices Is a two- edged sword since frequently daily newspaper publishers have the resources to upgrade a papers overall quality Need for Independence The committee found the executive surprisingly inarticulate when it came to the problem of increased concentration within the weekly publishing field Nevertheless the committee shared the concern put forward in a brief by the news editor of the Economist and Sun which states that If it is necessary that daily newspapers remain independent then it Is doubly so for the community The paper Is the last of the old weeklies on Metro Torontos fringe to be Independently owned and more Important Independently operated There arc times when we feel like a mouse surrounded by hungry cats waiting to pounce down and gobble us the brief states but concludes with the resolve to keep going in spite of spiralling postal rates lousy postal service screaming wage demands and escalating production costs The committee comments that we think that kind of spirit predominates in the weekly newspaper industry And that spirit along with the Importance to this country of a vibrant weekly press community owned and operated deserves our support Propone Review Board Weeklies were Included in the Wnmlttees proposal for a press ownership review board to Implement means to limit concentration weeklies to those Instances In which the public Interest would best bo served meaning no one anywhere would be hindered from beginning his own weekly The committee regretted more than a third of the country English speaking weeklies do not belong to the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association It notes with concern that declining membership is primarily the falling away of smaller newspapers not able to meet the Association a fees and called for subsidies for this kind of membership Noted also was the growth of CLEARANCE SALE of SOFAS LOVE SEATS CHAIRS 20 DISCOUNT Floor Samples Treat yourself to a new suite for Christmas Many good values Morettes Furniture Phone 8554603 An increase in wages for deputy returning officers and poll clerks and the possibility of holding an advance poll will probably receive Esqueslng Councils consideration next year At Mondays regular council meeting deputyreeve Tom Hill pointed out deputy returning officers and poll clerks could be working for less than the minimum wage Polls are open from 10 in the morning until eight at night and vote counting often takes up an additional two to three hours Deputy returning officers In last Mondays township election were paid a flat rate of received Clerktreasurer Delmar French suggested the advance poll Deputyreeve Hill said he thought such a poll should be held at the township office This years election cost the township a total of Obituary Mrs Cripps funeral Nov 23 After a short illness Margaret Ada passed away in Guelph General Hospital on November After living at Agnes St Acton for the past 27 years she has been in Guelph for the past six months is survived by her husband Stanley Cripps now of daughter Marilyn Guelph sons Bob Guelph and Ron sister Mrs Ethel Morris St Catharines and three grandchildren She was predeceased by a sister Elsie Franklin and her parents Charles and Ada Franklin was born at Stratford In and was married in Guelph in She was a member of Calvary Baptist church Guelph and was general secretary of the Sunday School there Funeral service was held at the RumleyShoemaker funeral home on November conducted by the Rev Reg SneU of Guelph assisted by a tenner minister the Rev J Boyd Toronto Pallbearers Earl Presley Georgetown Harold Andres Acton Charles StouffviUe William Alger Guelph Don McLean and Harvey Groat Guelph Interment was u Falrview Acton ACTON PHARMACY 2 Main St Acton 8531620 role in Canada suburban weeklies Without them there could bo an Information void which would be unhealthy for living In the sprawling highrise The committee also called for and better relations between and and Its Canadian counterpart This Is regrettable because the French Canadian organization appears to be more sophisticated and advanced than ore English weeklies although both groups are dealing with essentially the same problems Quebec with fewer dally newspapers than other provinces and only per cent of the nations weeklies nonetheless have 37 per cent of Canadian weekly circulation French language weeklies unllko the CWNA favored a press council and exhibited a far greater concern about press concentration the report says but It also points out this Is partly the result of the wish to keep the weeklies In the hands of Quebecs French speaking majority Threat to dallies In another facet of the report the committee notes that dolly newspaper publishers have noticed that weekly papers are and In many cases have the potential to become very profitable enterprises Weeklies particularly In the large metropolitan areas are beginning to pose a threat to the retail advertising receipts of daily newspapers and also their circulation This has resulted in the of a relatively new form of group ownership where publishers of largo dailies also produce weeklies and the two types of papers compete for the advertising dollar Four dailies the Kitchoner Waterloo Record The Toronto Telegram Toronto Slar and La involved In this type of group ownership Since 19W the roto of growth of advertising receipts of weeklies has far outstripped that of any other types of newspapers or periodicals the greatest part attributable to local retail ad vertising Four factors ore listed which contribute to the retail strength of the weeklies A growing preference of some retail advertisers for the selectivity of coverage provided by weeklies Growth in circulation The circulation growth of weeklies has been even greater than growth in Development of cost- reducing centralization of composing and printing operations The application of new technology to reduce costs primarily the offset process The development of offset printing the report states has given renewed life to the family newspaper To avoid confusion The prominence given by the daily newspapers to the Mass Media report of the Special Senate Committee on Mass Media and the clarion call telling media owners to improve their product unfortunately neglected to include the section on the weekly newspaper business In order that readers do not confuse the reports findings with those of the weekly newspapers this newspaper has prepared a summary of what the Senate Committee said about the community press and the Important role it plays in the countrys communication system The Senate Committee was headed by the Hon Keith and included 14 other members Object of the Committee was to consider and report upon the ownership and control of the major means of mass public communication In Canada and to examine and report upon the extent and nature of their impact and influence on the Canadian public TO THE RESIDENTS OF ERIN TOWNSHIP l Thank You for Your Support Sincere Good Wishes for fhe Christmas Season LLOYD LANG 5 attain Merry Christmas May we have peace on this earth for the New Year Thank you for patronizing our new Boutique and well keep trying harder for Rosemary Thanks AUOf Mummy Daddys W Customers 3M STATIONERY Say Merry Christmas with a Say DELUXE ELECTRIC ADDING MACHINE CORSAIR 5995 CLIPPER 9995 STERLING Theres Still Time to Order Your Personalized Christmas Cards PENCIL SHARPENERS STAPURS to 875 DATES LIST FINDERS 325 LABEL MAKERS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WIDE SELECTION TAPES SI ROLL ARTIST SUPPLIES Cray Hound Oib Ciinait Skotok all Ckaroaal Paloito Skate Inn Shoaoard Clara CUDS BOXED LARGE ASSORTMENT jg SCENIC For T1 12S GIFT WRAP Pereonalizad TAGS Stationery SEALS SHEETS ENVELOPES KOTO TRIP I0OKS Fancy Pater BOXES to WO Sarviettes Table Covers Coattore la