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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
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Dwight Blackwood
President / Publisher
Born in Brookfield, Bonavista Bay, 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 three, Blackwood
combined his love of the outdoors with his knowledge of the printing
industry 21 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, 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.
Although quite proud of the magazine’s progress,
Follett’s goal is to make each new issue better than the last. “When
I reach the point where I’m completely satisfied with a particular issue
and say there’s no way to improve on it, 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 is, 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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Douglas Kirby
Vice President / Marketing
Douglas Kirby is a native Newfoundlander who has a passion for the
outdoors.
Having a strong background in marketing, he joined the Sportsman
team in the early 1990's.
He helped successfully launch the Newfoundland Sportsman sister
publication Outdoor Sportsman(Maritime provinces), as well as the
Newfoundland Sportsman Hunting & Fishing TV show, that airs weekly
on the NTV network. The number one most watched on the island.
Kirby says, "when you think Hunting & Fishing, Newfoundland
Sportsman always comes to
mind with the people. After all, we are considered to be the authorities
in
the outdoors.
While considerable inroads have been made with both magazines and
the television show, the Sportsman still has a great deal of potential.
We've not only proven to the local market that we can promote there
goods and services, but the national and international markets have
also recognized and have taken advantage of what we have to offer".
e-mail: dkirby@newfoundlandsportsman.com
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