Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Ah, the wonders of competition

Advance Publications is beginning to back off the company's new strategy of publishing a print paper only three days a week and sending subscribers to the Internet the other days. At least in some cities.

Why? Subscribers have been enraged and competitors have been emboldened to step in.

So, after Advance scaled back the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2011 and the New Orleans Times-Picayune in 2012, both have been restored to seven-day printing again. In Philadelphia, Saturday newsstand sales had been suspended. In May 2013 that decision was reversed. In New Orleans, Advance decided to put a tabloid version of its Times-Picayune on the newstands on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays because the neighboring Baton Rouge Advocate had started selling subscriptions in New Orleans. 

"The much ballyhooed unmaking of daily newspapering seems to be unmaking itself," The New York Times said in its analysis, adding that, "The belief that historic monopolies will hold together just on the basis of inertia has proved to be wrong."

No comments:

Post a Comment