Metroland Media Group is a Canadianmass media publisher and distributor which primarily operates in Southern Ontario. A division of the publishing conglomerate Torstar Corporation, Metroland publishes more than 70 local community newspapers–including six dailies–and many magazines. Metroland has a substantial market presence in its geographic area, but has considerable competition from other large media and publishing organisations. In addition to printing most of its own publications, Metroland operates as a commercial printer of flyers and magazines.
History
Metroland is the publisher of six daily and more than 70 community newspapers in Southern Ontario. Metroland also publishes local news, classified and shopping websites, and operates nine printing operations. The company is a distributor of flyers and circulars. It produces specialty print products, magazines and newspaper inserts, which are geared toward specific market segments. Metroland produces and manages a handful of consumer shows. In February 1981, Metrospan Community Newspapers and Inland Publishing Company merged to become Metroland. Metroland Publishing was combined with CityMedia Group to create Metroland Media Group on September 11, 2006. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. In October 2011, it was announced that Metroland acquired Performance Printing of Smiths Falls, Ontario. The acquisition greatly expanded Metroland's community newspaper coverage in Eastern Ontario. In 2013, the company cut the frequency of three Toronto suburban newspapers, Scarborough Mirror, North York Mirror and Etobicoke Guardian, from twice a week to once a week.
Business areas
Metroland's regional and specialized business units can be grouped into five categories: Newspapers, Printing, Distribution, Digital Media, and Consumer Marketing.
Distribution
Metroland maintains a distribution network separate from the Canada Post. The total number of pieces distributed annually has increased substantially to more than 4 billion in 2014. There are 20,000 delivery persons province-wide performing door-to-door delivery of flyers, papers and print materials.
Digital media
Metroland Media entered into digital media and the internet with the migration of their community newspaper sites online in the mid 1990s. Subsequently, Metroland has built or acquired numerous online properties including save.ca, a website offering coupons and flyers; and gottarent.com, a Canadian apartment rentals listing site.
Printing
Metroland Media owns four printing plants in Ontario. The presses print Metroland Media's newspapers but also provide commercial printing to other clients. The combined print capacity of these print facilities is reported as more than 16 million tabloid pages per hour in full colour, approximating 250,000 newspapers per hour.
Newspapers
Metroland publishes over 80 local and community newspapers. Six of these are daily newspapers:
Metroland publishes dozens of magazines and specialty product titles. The general areas of interest these magazines focus on include lifestyle, leisure, parenting and transportation themes.
Expansion into customer fulfilment led to creation of a Metroland Digital division in 2008 to provide SMBs with full-service online marketing capabilities such as fully custom websites, e-commerce websites, paid search, search engine optimization as well as social media marketing and display advertising.
Consumer shows
Metroland produces consumer shows in Toronto for specialty audiences for Metroland Media Group publications. Metroland produces several consumer shows and exhibitions including the Toronto Golf & Travel Show, the National Bridal Show, the Forever Young Lifestyle Show, the City Parent Family Show and numerous local area shows.
