Posted on 10/24/2006 9:58:50 AM PDT by Miss Marple
There has been much discussion about the circulation drops for major newspapers. The Indianapolis Star earlier this year started sending us a FREE Thursday paper with our Sunday subscription, even though we didn't request it.
This "conversion" as they called it (and remember, it wasn't voluntary and it is FREE) was cited in an earlier article as the reason they managed to eke out a 1% increase in their daily circulation.
Today I got my bill, which offers to give me an enitre YEAR of FREE daily papers with my "Sunday offer" (which is Sunday plus Thursday and all holidays).
This is what my statement says:
The Indianapolis Star would like to offer you the opportunity to upgrade to our 7-Day delivery package, at your current subscription rate. For the next year, if you maintain your Sunday subscription, we will deliver the 7 day package. If you would like to take advantage of this special 7-Day offer, check the upgrade box in the payment section below and return with your regular payment, today!
It does tell me they are DESPERATE for subscribers!
I bet if I hold out I can get them to PAY ME to take the paper!
Shut down about half of them, and the other half might be able to break even.
This is the ONLY paper in Indianapolis, and they still need to inflate their figures!
My parents are PAID subscribers to the LA Times, except that the LA Slimes hasn't sent them a bill in over 5 years and yet continues to deliver the paper.
Amazing. I wonder if I quit paying if they would still send me the paper?
Convincing people to receive the pages (and potentially look at the pages) is a way to convince the businesses to keep buying the advertising.
Getting people to agree to receive free newspapers is not really counter to their business model. But on the day when the public refuses to take it for free -- that's when the media dinosaur dies.
Try it.
Take the canoli.
Most major papers these days are little more the ad sheets anyway.
It really tells you that they are extremely anxious to call you a paid subscriber, regardless of the deeply discounted rate so that they can lie to their advertisers who, most likely, have asked them repeatedly, "Why should I advertise with you on any day but Sunday? Your circulation stinks on every day BUT Sunday".....Liberal book keeping and economics.....They suck at free enterprise....
This is exactly what the Minneapolis Star tribune was doing when we lived in the Twin Cities. I got Wed-Thur-Fri for free, half price Saturday if I took the Sunday edition. I'm sure they counted all copies as paid, not free.
Hell, I started getting the Boston Globe (Free!) on Thursdays long after I canceled by Sunday only subscription. It was just so much trash I had to pick up off my lawn.
No!
I say this is a good time to show that you're not just a simple and evil Republican. Here you can show your sensitive and sophisticated "Greenie" side by refusing to take part in the slaughter of trees needed to make newspapers.
Cancel the newspaper, for the children.
/S
The Houston Chronicle is always dumping free newspapers on my doorstep even though I cancelled my subscription years ago. I always figured it was a way to inflate their subscription numbers.
Newspapers have stopped being "news" papers years ago. They have an agenda, and they will print stories that support that agenda, or is negative to the other side.
When I start seeing negative stories on public employee unions, planned parenthood, illegal emigrants, minium wage and welfare, I may start buying papers again.
Since I already know how any story they present will be slanted, there is no point in reading it.
I have found I can live my life quite well without "newspapers", and whatever habit I had before is cured.
The Washington Post is playing the same game. With Sunday only subscribers, they give you the week for free. Since you are paying for the paper (even if only for Sunday) it counts as "paid" subscriptions, so they can go to the advertisers with highly inflated numbers.
Everybody getting these papers should stop their fully paid subscriptions and sign up for Sunday only, then take the free weekday offers. It will save them a bundle and cut into the dying media's profits.
Advertising rates are based on circulation: the greater the circulation (as verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulation) the higher the ad rates. So newspapers and magazines have long padded their ABC numbers to generate more income. This is nothing new though it does seem to be more desperate lately due to major circulation declines. I used to get free subscriptions to U.S. News, Newsweak, etc. back in the 80s. The L.A. Times and the local slimesheet always have giveaway subscription deals.
The latest wrinkle is that when you cancel your "subscription" they keep delivering the damned things! It practically took a lawyer to stop the Ventura Star from littering my driveway.
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