By Stephen Weir

Now Magazine is now back in business and is now in new hands. The venerable entertainment magazine was purchased early this month by Gonez Media, a Toronto company owned and operated by former CP 24 personality Brandon Gonez.

Now Magazine, started in 1981, used to self-describe as Toronto’s weekly news and entertainment voice. It published every Thursday and at its peak it distributed over 500,000 copies a week from green newspaper boxes at street corners all around the city.

With falling revenue and falling readership, the free magazine has floundered, publishing only sporadically in recent months. Staff writers stopped getting paid and others were let go as the magazine went through management changes.

In purchasing Now, Gonez Media announced that the publication will no longer be printed. It will instead be known as NOW and will be issued in a digital-only format via nowtoronto.com.

“This is a huge move for us. It elevates Gonez Media to become a true dominant player in Canada’s digital media landscape,” said Gonez in a recent press release.

NOW says it is set to become a more prominent, trusted and defining voice in the news and culture space of Toronto. There will also be a major reporting focus on arts, music, and entertainment. It expects to also place its news content on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube as well.