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The first issue of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine was published in the fall of 1990, and has since grown from a local quarterly to an international bi-monthly, full-colour publication, with a sister magazine, the Outdoor Sportsman, making its way across Canada and parts of the United States since 1998. Our primary editorial focus is on fishing and hunting, plus we cover other outdoor activities dealing with snowmobiling, boating, off-roading, hiking, camping, etc. The Newfoundland Sportsman has subscribers in every Canadian province, as well as in the U.S. and even more distant countries such as Norway, England, Portugal and South Africa. Technology has played a major role in the progress of the magazine, to the point where everything, including much of the ad design, is completed in-house and turned over to the printer on CDs. Generally regarded as the leading name in Newfoundland and Labrador outdoors, Newfoundland Sportsman Ltd., after a two-year stint in the mid-1990s, re-entered the television market in 2005 with what instantly became a highly popular hunting and fishing program. The show airs Sunday afternoons on NTV and is also available via satellite. In fact, reaction from all across Canada has been overwhelming to the Sportsman’s “down-to-earth” and “real-life” style. Sportsman show co-host and magazine president Dwight Blackwood says he knew there was an interest and a need for such a program, “but we didn’t envision such a positive reaction. We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least, and since our first season became available on DVDs in the fall of 2005, they’ve been going like hotcakes!” The Newfoundland Sportsman is dedicated to promoting the use and appreciation of our magnificent outdoors. We encourage hunting, fishing and outdoor recreational activities of all sorts, and that they be done in a sustainable and responsible manner. |
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Dwight Blackwood
President / Publisher
Born in Brookfield, Bonavista Bay, 51-year-old Dwight Blackwood acquired a taste for the outdoors at a very young age, and the tremendous fondness he obtained has not waned the slightest amount over the years. In fact, Blackwood’s appreciation of the outdoors grows with each excursion. “Sometimes our wives don’t fully understand,” he says with a smile, “that most of our fishing and hunting trips are indeed work... It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.” With a background in accounting, Blackwood, who resides in St. John’s, had been involved in various business ventures over the years, including ownership of a printing company, but it was the founding of the Newfoundland Sportsman which gave him the most enjoyment. A father of four and grandfather of two, Blackwood combined his love of the outdoors with his knowledge of the printing industry 16 years ago to produce the first issue of the Newfoundland Sportsman, and says while there were a few “rough spots” during the magazine’s growing years, “we’re now on solid footing and continue to make strides with every issue.” Trade shows have also proven successful for the company. Now, however, concentration is on the magazine and television show, both of which are true “labours of love.” Blackwood is equally proud of the fact that virtually everything associated with the magazine and television show is done in-house. “We’ve had to pick up a tremendous amount of technical skills, not to mention hardware and software over the last number of years,” he said, “so we don’t spend all of our time fishing and hunting. We still have to get back to the office to put the shows and magazines together for airing and printing. We’re quite proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.”
e-mail: dBlackwood@newfoundlandsportsman.com
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Gord Follett
Vice President / Editor
Born and raised in St. John’s, 48-year-old Gord Follett’s background is in the media business, having worked in various editing/writing capacities with local newspapers. In the early 1990s he became editor of a community newspaper owned by Dwight Blackwood, who had just published the first issue of the Newfoundland Sportsman, and from there they continued to put more and more focus on the magazine until eventually deciding it was a venture worth taking on full-time. Then came the Newfoundland Sportsman Show in 2005, of which Follett is co-host. Together with Blackwood, they spend much of their time fishing and hunting throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, gathering footage and information/photos for the show and magazine. Although quite proud of the magazine’s and television show’s progress, Follett’s goal is to make each new issue and program better than the last. “When I reach the point where I’m completely satisfied with a particular issue or program and say there’s no way to improve on them, then it’s time for me to give it up,” he said. “We have to continuously look for ways to improve. As good as each edition of our magazine and TV program are, I don’t believe there will ever come a time when we’ll say, ‘Okay, this is as good as it gets.’”
e-mail: gFollett@newfoundlandsportsman.com
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Doug Kirby
Vice President / Marketing
Another native of St. John’s, 42-year-old Doug Kirby is the Sportsman’s vice-president of marketing. As well, he oversees the distribution side of business. With a background in transportation and advertising, the Mount Pearl resident believes that while considerable inroads have been made with the magazine and television show, “the Sportsman still has a great deal of potential. That’s where we all come into the picture as a team.” As for the Newfoundland Sportsman’s sister publication, the Outdoor Sportsman, Kirby noted that after considerable discussion, fact-seeking and planning, company officials decided in 1998 the time was right “to go for it... and it’s been a wise move. “As far as advertising in the magazine and TV program goes, we’ve not only proven to the local market that we can promote their goods and services, but the national and international markets have also recognized and taken advantage of what we have to offer.” A lover of trout fishing, Kirby’s other favourite outdoor activities are snowmobiling and golf.
e-mail: dkirby@newfoundlandsportsman.com
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