FRIDAY'S PRESS RELEASE 08/13/99
Date
08/13/99
Company
MPL COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Title
Mpl Communications Inc. - Publisher's E-commerce Expansion Plans Outlined
To Shareholders
**START-IO-STORY**
OUTLINED TO SHAREHOLDERS
MPL COMMUNICATIONS Inc. (ASE-MPZ) publisher of a number of
well-known financial advisory services including Investor's
Digest Of Canada, has strengthened its online electronic delivery
capabilities and is now a significant e-commerce player,
shareholders were told at today's annual meeting here.
MPL has historically been a leader in the independent financial
and investment advisory publishing business in Canada. This year
the company launched an electronic subscription service,
IDOnline.ca, and has committed substantial resources to
development and marketing of its e-commerce activities.
In June, MPL realized $1,050,000 from the issuance of three
million special warrants to finance further growth, development
and marketing of its on-line financial information services. In
July the company announced the acquisition of Carlson Online
Services Inc. to be an integral part of its expansion into
electronic delivery services.
"MPL's success over the past 10 years has been because of our
ability to provide our customers with independent, high quality,
actionable investment advice," said Chairman Stephen Pepper. "Our
publications' subscription base of 65,000 in Canada with a high
rate of renewals gives us a solid foundation to build a dominant
position in the rapidly evolving e-commerce business."
As well as Investor's Digest of Canada, the country's largest
investment newspaper, MPL also publishes The Investment Reporter,
founded in 1941 and believed to be the oldest continuously
published investment advisory in North America.
Other titles include the Money Reporter, Canadian Mutual Fund
Adviser, All Star Funds mutual fund rating service, Blue Book of
Stock Reports, Best U.S. Stocks for Canadian Investors and the
Canadian Resources and PennyMines Analyst. The company is the
Canadian publisher of Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street, the U.S.'s
most widely circulated investment newsletter.
Mr. Pepper said that while MPL will continue to seek growth in
its traditional print media business, it will devote an
increasing share of resources to building online information
services.
He said the company is developing an aggressive strategic plan
around its IDOnline.ca initiative and that details will be
announced at a special shareholders meeting later this fall.
Shareholders were told MPL's revenue grew 10.4% to $9.1 million
in 1998, compared to $8.3 million in 1997. The average annual
rate of compound revenue growth over the past 10 years has been
18.8%
MPL Communications Inc. trades on the Alberta Stock Exchange
under the symbol MPZ and has approximately 14 million shares
outstanding.
CONTACT:
Stephen D. Pepper, Chairman,
MPL Communications Inc.
133 Richmond St. West, Toronto,
Canada
Tel: (416) 869-1177
Fax: (416) 869-0456
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