Pink Triangle Press, the publisher of the gay and lesbian lifestyle magazine Xtra, has acquired Fab, Xtra’s former rival in the Toronto market.
The company reached a deal with Fab’s former owner, No Fear Publishing Ltd., last week. Brandon Matheson, publisher and editor-in-chief of Pink Triangle Press’ eastern publishing division, will take over as publisher of Fab Feb. 25.
Matheson says no major changes are planned in terms of the branding of Fab, a magazine he describes as “complementary” to Xtra.
“No one publication can be all things to all people, and while there are readers out there who read both, there are those that only read one,” he says. “For us, this allows us to expand the reach of our work in the Toronto community to a broader readership.
“Both Fab and Xtra will continue to have their distinct identities, and part of my challenge as publisher is to make sure that happens.”
However, Matheson notes that he has a short window to either reach new agreements with Fab’s current staff or find replacements. The magazine will operate independently of Xtra, with its own office and editorial and advertising teams.
While Matheson acknowledges that Pink Triangle Press may develop advertising packages that encompass both publications in the coming months, he expects Fab and Extra to continue to compete for ad dollars in the short term.
“Because both publications are bi-weeklies and publish on alternate weeks, we can now make sure that a client’s campaign starts on the week that they want it to,” says Matheson. “But I think there’ll always be some subtle competition and rivalry between the two magazines, because they’re going to maintain their own advertising staffs.”
Pink Triangle Press also publishes Capital Xtra in Ottawa and Xtra West in Vancouver, and also produces a gay-themed travel magazine called The Guide.
Fab will launch its first issue as a Pink Triangle Press publication March 6.
