You may have noticed this new bar on top of the blog. It’s only the most visible sign of an important new step in the evolution of this blog.

Fagstein has existed since February of 2007 and in those four years has been entirely independent, both editorially and financially, from the rest of the media scene (including from my current employer).

That’s been great for the whole freedom of speech thing, but it also means this blog has brought in zero revenue for all the work I put into it.

This is where my new friends at Quebecor come in. They have a partnership program with influential bloggers (like Dominic Arpin, for example) in which they sell ads and the two parties split the revenues.

When Quebecor first approached me with this idea, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. But considering my current financial situation, I wasn’t in a position to turn down such a generous offer.

So as of today, the first day of Quebecor’s 2011-2012 fiscal year, Fagstein is officially part of the Quebecor Canoo.ca network.

This means, unfortunately, that the blog will start seeing advertising in the coming weeks. That’s how it’s going to make its money. It’ll start off mostly with ads for Quebecor products, including the fantastic new wireless phone service from Videotron. Some new editorial joint ventures with advertisers will also be coming our way, and I look forward to the various partnerships with Quebecor’s business friends and how they can help me bring a better quality blog for you all to enjoy.

There’s also talk about me maybe getting a column in the Journal de Montréal. Fingers crossed!