Advertise with us
Rates, formats and how a booking runs
| Placement | Format | Run length | Includes | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonge–Dundas Morning Note | Newsletter sponsor line | 5 consecutive editions | 1 copy-edit round, small logo slot, week-end summary | $165 |
| Downtown Beat Host-Reads | Podcast host-read mention | 4 × 45s reads / 1 month | Script outline, wording review, per-episode summary | $640 |
| Core City Partner Month | Website, newsletter & podcast | 1 month | Sidebar, 2 sponsor notes, 3 mentions, 1 partner article, closing report | $1,290 |
Yonge–Dundas Morning Note
The weekday morning newsletter goes out before the Discovery District fills up, and this placement sits near the top of it: a short, calmly written sponsor note that reads like part of the morning round-up rather than a banner dropped into it. It suits shops, studios and community organizations taking a first step into advertising with a local publication.
Copy is written together with you — we'll ask what you'd like readers to know and draft a note in the newsletter's own voice, with one round of edits before it first runs. A small logo slot sits beside the text, and the placement runs for five consecutive editions so it has a chance to be seen more than once by the same commuting reader.
At the end of the run, you receive a plain-language note on how the edition performed — opens and clicks, described in ordinary terms rather than a dashboard export.
- • Placement near the top of the weekday newsletter
- • Five consecutive editions
- • One round of copy edits included
- • Small logo slot beside the note
- • Week-end summary of opens and clicks
$165 CAD
Request this placement
Downtown Beat Host-Reads
Four 45-second mentions, read live by the host in their own words across our weekly downtown-Toronto podcast. After a short briefing call, we sketch an outline of what the host will say — the tone stays conversational rather than scripted, which is what makes a host-read sound different from a pre-produced ad.
This format suits regional brands and cultural venues around Kensington Market, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and the waterfront that want to be introduced the way a friend would mention a place, not announced. Placements run across one month, giving four separate episodes a chance to carry the mention to a slightly different mix of listeners each week.
You'll see the script outline and have a chance to flag anything before recording, and after each episode airs you receive a listen-count note for that episode.
- • Four 45-second host-read mentions
- • Recorded in the host's own words after a briefing call
- • Runs across one calendar month
- • Script outline shared for review before recording
- • Listen-count summary for each episode
$640 CAD
Request this placementCore City Partner Month
A month-long presence across all three of our formats, built for organizations that want a steady, considered spot with our downtown readership rather than a single mention. It combines a rotating sidebar placement on the website, two newsletter sponsor notes, three podcast mentions and one explainer article — clearly labelled as partner content and kept separate from our news reporting.
The month starts with a planning session where we map out which weeks each piece runs and build a shared content calendar, so you know in advance when the sidebar changes, when a note goes out and when the podcast mention airs.
At the close of the month you receive a short report summarizing what ran, when, and any reader response we noted along the way — useful for deciding whether to book another month.
- • Rotating sidebar placement on the website for one month
- • Two newsletter sponsor notes
- • Three podcast mentions
- • One explainer article, labelled partner content
- • Planning session and shared content calendar
- • Closing report at month end
$1,290 CAD
Request this placement
How the work goes, start to finish
Request
Tell us which placement fits, by form, email or phone.
Briefing call
A short call gathers copy, logo or talking points and preferred dates.
Scheduling
We confirm open dates, usually within a few business days.
Draft & review
You review wording or a script outline before anything runs.
Runs & summary
Your placement runs on schedule; a short summary follows.
Who books each placement
Independent shops
Along Yonge–Dundas or in Kensington Market wanting a first, low-cost step into local advertising.
Studios and venues
In the Discovery District or the St. Lawrence neighbourhood looking for a conversational, host-read introduction.
Community organizations
Announcing programs or events to a downtown readership through the newsletter.
Waterfront businesses
Wanting a steadier, month-long presence across all three formats.
These placements are not suited to campaigns outside the coverage area, or to advertisers looking for a promised sales result — we describe the placement and the format; what a reader does next is up to them.
The prices on the rate plate are the full cost of each placement as described above — no separate production fee, no starting-from figure. What can change a quote is scope: extra editions, a longer podcast campaign, or additional creative review rounds beyond the one included.
A final booking is confirmed after the briefing call, once dates and creative details are set, and invoiced ahead of the first placement running.
What we don't do
- We don't mix advertising into news coverage — every placement carries a "Sponsored" or "Partner content" label.
- We don't sell placements outside downtown Toronto or promise reach beyond our published coverage area.
- We don't offer a fourth pricing tier or custom one-off packages outside the three placements listed here.
Where we cover
Birchcast reports on downtown Toronto: Yonge–Dundas, the Discovery District, Kensington Market, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and the central waterfront. Our desk sits on Edward Street, one block off Yonge — the downtown-core title among the city's local publications.
See our desk on the map on the contact page, or the embedded map on the home page.
How consistency is kept
The same briefing-call-then-review process runs for every booking, whatever the placement or the advertiser. A dedicated advertising coordinator handles scheduling and creative review; editorial staff have no part in drafting sponsor copy, which keeps the news pages independent of what's booked that week.
We keep the newsletter format, podcast schedule and site layout stable from month to month, so a placement in week one looks and sounds like one in week four.
More questions about booking? See the full FAQ.
Ready to book a placement on the rate plate?