QuickGuide
Magazine Financial Ratios - Revenue
Ratios are expressed as a percentage of total revenue. While every magazine is different, you can use these ratios as a benchmark to compare your magazine’s revenue against the average of other magazines in your category. For expense-side ratios, see the Masthead QuickGuide for Magazine Financial Ratios - Expenses. Source: Calculated from Statistics Canada, Periodical Publishing Survey, 2003/2004, www.statscan.ca
MQG June 2005
Magazine Type Special Interest Consumer 63.6% 6.7% 17.0% 3.1% 0.7% 1.9% 6.9% 100% 92.6% 7.4%
Revenue Category Advertising Single-copy sales Subscription sales Government grants Web site/E-commerce Ancillary products Other revenues Total Revenues Total Expenses Profit (loss) before taxes
General Interest 56.2% 14.2% 23.8% 1.5% 0.9% 1.8% 1.5% 100% 90.8% 9.2%
Business or Trade 84.1% 0.5% 5.7% 1.8% 0.8% 4.5% 2.5% 100% 88.1% 11.9%
Farm 77.6% 0.7% 17.4% 1.2% 0.1% 0.2% 3.0% 100% 82.1% 17.9%
Religiious 14.9% 5.2% 55.5% 1.0% 0.0% 1.3% 22.1% 100% 94.3% 5.7%
All Scholarly Magazines 37.9% 3.7% 37.9% 6.9% 0.4% 1.3% 11.8% 100% 88.4% 11.6% 64.0% 7.6% 18.8% 2.3% 0.8% 2.4% 4.2% 100% 90.3% 9.7%
Definitions: Government grants: Grants from any government source, but not including the Publications Assistance Program (postal subsidy, which is paid to Canada Post). Ancillary products: Includes book sales, consumer and trade shows, related TV and radio properties, etc. Other revenue: Includes list rentals, private donations, membership dues, backissue sales, intra-company transfers.
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