As publishers continue to look for new revenue streams, 27 percent of American and Canadian publishers "expect mobile to significantly impact their revenue in just two years," according to an online survey conducted by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Poynter.org reported today.

Twenty-eight percent said they believe sponsorships will bring advertising revenue, followed by search (22 percent), video (21 percent), banner ads (19 percent) and pop-ups (19 percent), paidContent.org revealed. But publishers said they would not rely only on advertisements and plan to charge subscription fees to the applications.

"Many magazines and newspapers are already implementing their plans and tweaking their offerings while others are following close behind," ABC president and managing director Michael Lavery stated in a press release.

Although 78 percent of those surveyed disagree with the idea that print publications will eliminate their print issues, 63 percent said e-readers "would become vital distribution channels for their publication." For instance, 60 percent of newspapers publishers plan to develop an iPad application in the next six to twelve months.

Aiming to create another digital revenue stream, U.S. publisher and broadcaster Cox Media is buying discount site DealSwarm, which will be open in the next few weeks, paidContent reported yesterday.

The site will offer customers deals of 50 percent or more off services from local businesses, such as restaurants and entertainment venues. Cox, which is based in Atlanta, will make DealSwarm available to people in cities in which it currently has outlets: Atlanta, Austin, Dayton and Seattle. The site will be rolled out in other markets in 2011.

DealSwarm will likely be a major competitor for Groupon, the Atlanta Business Chronicle noted.

"Different from others in the group buying space, our local media properties in each DealSwarm market bring unprecedented marketing power with established readers, viewers and listeners," said David Shipps, DealSwarm's vice president, according to a press release. "For our business partners, there are no upfront costs. They simply benefit from new customers and a fantastic promotional opportunity for their business."

In a publication made available online yesterday, the Knight Foundation has detailed possible non-profit local and regional news ventures.

Saving traditional news organisations cannot be helped by the non-profit model; instead, creating and strengthening "informed communities and local information ecosystems, of which journalism is a necessary component" is the type of venture that non-profits can possibly be of help with, the U.S.-based organisation states, the foundation notes. The publication is based on an April 26 meeting sponsored by the Knight Foundation and co-hosted by the Texas Tribune, Voice of San Diego and Knight Chair in Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin.

The non-profit model, if done correctly, helps organisations "to pursue a journalistic mission without the competing demands of operating a for-profit business." The publication points out that the foundation has funded more than 200 experiments using a so-called "built to learn" approach.

Panelist Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO of the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, pointed out to the non-profit model being discussed is not a solution meant to fix the news industry's financial woes.

"It isn't for us a question of finding the model, but of experimenting with a lot of different models," he said.

Seeing a growing need for help in navigating social media and online advertising by small and mid-sized businesses, the Tribune Co. has created a consulting business that will also hopefully help the U.S. news publisher tap into another revenue stream, Crain's Chicago Business reported today.

435 Digital Services (named after the company's headquarters at 435 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago) is beginning with 10 staffers, with plans to grow. Bill Adee, vice president of digital for the Chicago Tribune, has been put in charge, according to Editor & Publisher.

The consultancy will shift staffers from current ad sales into the new unit.

As companies search for more revenue streams, "it's worth wondering what the impact of shifting digital resources outside of supporting their companies' print and digital content will ultimately have," paidContent's David Kaplan wrote yesterday.

Gannett launched its own consultancy, GannettLocal, in Phoenix this spring. Its website promises customers it will: