[abb]

http://joesharkeyat.blogspot.com/2011/08/usa-today-cant-give-it-away-and-man.html

USA Today: Can’t Give It Away; Man Sues After Being Charged for It

Many years ago, the USA Today founder and Gannett newspaper chain chief, a flashy corporate buccaneer named Al Neuharth, rolled the newspaper industry’s official circulation auditor, the Audit Bureau of Circulations, into accepting as “paid circulation” copies of a newspaper that are, as a significant portion of the USA Today print run has always been, essentially handed out for free, or deeply discounted in various bulk-sales distribution deals with hotels, airlines and other outlets.

Often the so-called bulk sales arrangement involves a barter deal for advertising space with hotels, airlines and other heavily traveled sources, and no actual money changes hands. USA Today, which counts bulk sales for roughly half of its sales, has always claimed a very large daily circulation, even though bulk sales account for about half of the 1.8 million papers it claims to sell five days a week. I, for one, have never actually purchased a copy in the quarter century that the newspaper has been in existence.

[abb]

http://www.newsandtech.com/news/article_ba141372-f8e9-11e0-8a02-001cc4c002e0.html
Paywall coming to LA Times?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/17/americamovil-idUSN1E79G0GL20111017
Mexican tycoon Slim sets sights on digital content

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/475344-Gannett_Broadcast_Revenue_Down_6_.php
Gannett Broadcast Revenue Down 6%

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the input.

“essentially handed out for free, or deeply discounted in various bulk-sales distribution deals with hotels, airlines and other outlets.”

It probably depends on the size and power of the hotel/motel re what deal they can get.

[SengirV]

I used to buy it back before the internet days, simply for compiling the fantasy football stats on Monday/Tuesday. That is it.

[MediaMole]

The newspaper company I used to work for got caught doing this and was sued by advertisers. It has never really recovered. Several big advertisers sued them for fraud and won, since ad rates were much higher than they would have been if they had used accurate representations of truly paid circulation.

I’d love to know how many people really pay for USA Today. When they first came out, there were USA Today boxes on every corner — now, they are available in gas stations and C stores, but that’s about it. Gannett is shrinking like a wicked witch hit with a bucket of water.