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Thread: 6e. Officer + Committee Reports - CFC Newsletter Committee

  1. #1

    Default 6e. Officer + Committee Reports - CFC Newsletter Committee

    Please find the report from the committee attached. The recommendations contained therein will be up for discussion and ratification at this meeting. A companion vote on the continuation of Edward Porper's contract versus putting out an RFP will be up for consideration as well. Ballots on the question of ratification will not remain sealed, but ballots cast in relation to the contract will remain sealed.
    Last edited by Michael von Keitz; 01-01-2013 at 12:41 AM.

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    The main problem with this report is that the budget for the newsletter is considered in isolation. I would much rather see a report that shows what options exist for the newsletter at different budget ranges, all the way from a minimal amount ($3600) up to whatever a monthly magazine would cost, and a bunch of steps in between including the $18000 level.

    I also liked the line about actively seeking out advertisers. Given the extremely limited distribution (are we even above 1000 yet? and how many of those even read it at all much less the ads?) and the medium (everyone is used to ignoring and not even seeing ads on the computer by now) the prices are simply ridiculous. $250 to buy a full page ad... whereas that same $250 would probably cover a direct mailing to around 250 CFC members. I note that in the November issue there was exactly one ad, although it's unclear if it's supposed to be a 1/4 page or 1/8 page (it's more like a 1/6 page ad) and it's buried on Page 21.

    There is also no mention about timing. How many threads do we see here and on Chesstalk asking where the newsletter is? How often has it been on time? For someone wanting to advertise an upcoming event, the uncertainty is a big problem as well. There should be some kind of financial penalty from the salary of the editor if the newsletter is not ready on time.
    Christopher Mallon
    FIDE Arbiter

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    Thank you to the committee, an excellent report. I am generally in favour of the committee recommendations, but I have the following concerns.

    1. Consolidated publications, ie. the current issue for Dec/Jan instead of 2 distinct publications. I am sure I am not the only one who feels "cheated" when that happens. The report should state clearly that the 18k budget is for 12 issues/year, nothing less. Fewer issues, budget goes down!

    2. Advertising rates. I have to agree with Chris, lower rates please!!

    Thanks for listening.

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    I think a continuous schedule of publishing on a website with the ability to print out pdfs of particular articles like they do on ChessCafe.com would be the best way to go. I found this issue particularly interesting because of the WYCC reports and annotated games of kids that I see on a regular basis in Windsor chess tournaments and classes. I am also glad to see the end of the stupid password feature because it means you only get to look at the file more than once since you are not likely to have the password handy after you have downloaded the ezine once.

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    Could this forum be used as a method of distributing the newsletter? If we want to keep it as a members only thing we would need a members only forum but we could send members an e-mail saying "Pick up your newsletter by hitting the following link... http:\\"

    This is what the bank that does my company credit card does as well as several of my vendors. Now admittedly the newsletter doesn't get the immediate attention that a VISA bill would but...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Gillanders View Post
    Thank you to the committee, an excellent report. I am generally in favour of the committee recommendations, but I have the following concerns.

    1. Consolidated publications, ie. the current issue for Dec/Jan instead of 2 distinct publications. I am sure I am not the only one who feels "cheated" when that happens. The report should state clearly that the 18k budget is for 12 issues/year, nothing less. Fewer issues, budget goes down!

    2. Advertising rates. I have to agree with Chris, lower rates please!!

    Thanks for listening.
    The advertizing rates are most likely historical ones from the printed magazine days.

    I think one of our main concerns was to try and use the magazine as a way to attract more interest of Chess in Canada. Instead of less than half of the members reading it, I'd like to see double the number of members reading it.

    I think the double issue thing can thought about. In the past deadlines have appeared to have been missed, but these were negotiated with the editor because of tournament scheduling.

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    Budget of CFC Magazine/Newsletter
    The committee recommends that the budget remain at current levels, or $18,000, with a monthly allotment as follows:
    Editor - $650
    Newsletter Contributors - $550
    Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300
    This distribution of resources should be rigidly adhered to, where the editor is ineligible to receive more than 5% of the combined contributors' budgets annually. This being in contrast to the current standard, by which the editor receives a full one-third of the contributors' budget, in addition to his own.
    Exceptions to the above would include cases where the editor is a contributor to the newsfeed over-and-above hir editorial duties and cases in which the editor is paid for articles from hir personal on-site experiences, where neither would include payments for a regular column.


    So the editor could still be paid for articles like the world youth championship article where he was one of the coaches for the team. I would hate to lose articles like that one as it seems to me to be exactly the type of content that we should be encouraging. Is the editor writing the additional articles because there aren't enough Canadian chess news content contributors and he is filling in the gaps?

    I must confess that I have only really looked closely at the last couple of issues. I liked the one with the WYCC coverage quite a lot.

    It seems to me that the requirement to sell more advertising and the decision to keep the current content hidden for a year seem to me to be at odds with one another. If you have to make distinctions I would define current as this month's issue. A free issue that has 10,000 or even 100,000 readers in some wilder dreams is far more valuable as an advertising vehicle than the current scenario where you have far less than 1000 adult readers. If you are going to make someone responsible for selling advertising, there should be a commission for advertising sold and control over the prices charged so that he can set realistic prices that might allow some advertising to actually be sold.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vladimir Drkulec View Post
    Budget of CFC Magazine/Newsletter
    The committee recommends that the budget remain at current levels, or $18,000, with a monthly allotment as follows:
    Editor - $650
    Newsletter Contributors - $550
    Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300
    This distribution of resources should be rigidly adhered to, where the editor is ineligible to receive more than 5% of the combined contributors' budgets annually. This being in contrast to the current standard, by which the editor receives a full one-third of the contributors' budget, in addition to his own.
    Exceptions to the above would include cases where the editor is a contributor to the newsfeed over-and-above hir editorial duties and cases in which the editor is paid for articles from hir personal on-site experiences, where neither would include payments for a regular column.


    So the editor could still be paid for articles like the world youth championship article where he was one of the coaches for the team. I would hate to lose articles like that one as it seems to me to be exactly the type of content that we should be encouraging. Is the editor writing the additional articles because there aren't enough Canadian chess news content contributors and he is filling in the gaps?

    I must confess that I have only really looked closely at the last couple of issues. I liked the one with the WYCC coverage quite a lot.

    It seems to me that the requirement to sell more advertising and the decision to keep the current content hidden for a year seem to me to be at odds with one another. If you have to make distinctions I would define current as this month's issue. A free issue that has 10,000 or even 100,000 readers in some wilder dreams is far more valuable as an advertising vehicle than the current scenario where you have far less than 1000 adult readers. If you are going to make someone responsible for selling advertising, there should be a commission for advertising sold and control over the prices charged so that he can set realistic prices that might allow some advertising to actually be sold.
    Just a reminder that if anyone has an amendment in mind, feel free to put it forward as such.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael von Keitz View Post
    Just a reminder that if anyone has an amendment in mind, feel free to put it forward as such.
    The problems are numerous here.


    1. We have a very incomplete report from the committee meaning we don't have all the information we need.
    2. We have a very limited time frame for discussion.
    3. Only 19 Governors have even read this thread so far, and who knows how many are following the discussion?


    Based on this I don't even personally have a clue what amendments should be proposed. I still think it's ridiculous for us to spend 100% of our discretionary budget on one item.

    Therefore, I think the best option is to simply vote "No" and reject the committee's "Report" - which really is not even a proper report, just a big justification for the option they want to see happen. Alternatives are not even mentioned!
    Christopher Mallon
    FIDE Arbiter

  10. #10

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    Our goal was to discuss about the format and budget of the newsletter, not about the editor or the advertising rates.

    That being said, I would support the advertising rates being lowered and some incentives for the newsletters being on time. Also, 12 issues a year would be better, in my opinion.

    Regarding the budget, I see it as a great improvement. For the same amount of money (18 000$), we would now have both a newsletter and an online newsfeed, which could potentially reach much more people. Also, the idea was to try this for some time, then see what is popular. Nothing prevents us from trying this new format for one or two years, and then see if we should adjust the budget.

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