As Paris Hilton says: ‘It’s hot.’ She might very well be speaking of the heat generated by the celebrity gossip magazine category. In Canada, Torstar’s entry, Weekly Scoop, is on offer this week for a mere quarter — a price point designed for mass consumption. ‘Celebrity gossip rags are doing very well in Canada. It’s something new, something different for us here. In the U.S., it’s just going nuts down there,’ says a Toronto-based media planning manager who asked not to be named. ‘Advertisers want Canadian players that we can put media dollars to. This [category] attracts a young demo, and it’s weekly, so there’s a frequency opportunity.’ Rogers’ Hello magazine is slated to debut in June.
