Postmedia Inc.

[VicHockeyFan]

Canada's largest newspaper publisher, Postmedia Network, is to to put up paywalls at all its 38 daily and community newspapers across the country.

It suggests that its "metered model" experiment, which began in May at the websites of the Montreal Gazette and the Victoria Times-Colonist, has proved successful.

It gives online readers a limited number of free articles before prompting them to pay for access.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/gree...aywalls-canada

[skeptic]

The newspapers are really hurting for money. Two years ago I obtained a 12 month subscription to the National Post for $25 through a Visa special offer. A year later the National Post sent me a subscription renewal offer for $300 for a year (standard rate). I called them and said "$300 is way too much, my last subscription was $25 for a year." The rep said "well that offer has expired but let me see what I can do--you say about $25 or $30 is reasonable?" I said "yes" and he came back 60 seconds later with a one year renewal for $32. I offer this anecdote for people who would like to negotiate with Postmedia--it's really easy.

Of course the paywall might frustrate and annoy some peope, but the fatal flaw is it's based on Javascript (which is why the "TC unblocker" applet works) and it's probably also using cookies so if you set your browser to delete them every time you exit you'll probably never see the subscription demand. It just goes to show you can have the print edition for next-to-nothing and the web access for free, regardless of what Postmedia does.

[Holden West]

Papers and magazines love subscribers because they provide hard numbers for potential advertisers compared to the unreliable impulse buys at the newsstand. Media would practically give you a free subscription in return for knowing you're a daily reader year in year out.

[Sparky]

Matt Wright has this to say about that.

http://wrightresult.com/2011/05/time...all-purgatory/

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by skeptic

(which is why the "TC unblocker" applet works)

It stopped working.

[Sparky]

Just hit the "stop loading this page" or AKA the the refresh button.

To share a personal thought as a print media subscriber for over 40 years.....this is starting to piss me off. Perhaps the occupy folks could find their way to Douglas and Hillside and actually protest against something.

[supernaut]

Updated the "TC Unblocker" in case anyone was using it:
http://jsfiddle.net/EjJ3L/3/

[VicHockeyFan]

Postmedia is dropping Sunday editions in Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.

[David Bratzer]

Originally Posted by VicHockeyFan

Postmedia is dropping Sunday editions in Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.

I think newspapers should get rid of their web sites and go back to print only. I can't imagine that any of them are making a profit from their online content.

[sdwright.vic]

Originally Posted by David Bratzer

I think newspapers should get rid of their web sites and go back to print only. I can't imagine that any of them are making a profit from their online content.

WOW! You must want to really kill the newspaper.

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by David Bratzer

I think newspapers should get rid of their web sites and go back to print only. I can't imagine that any of them are making a profit from their online content.

That sounds easy if EVERY traditional media outlet in the same area, or even a wider area all did it together. That's not going to happen.

[David Bratzer]

Originally Posted by sdwright.vic

WOW! You must want to really kill the newspaper.

They're killing themselves. I mean, they are giving their content away online for free. Even (most) paywalls are losing money. Ask yourself, "Would the average local daily be in better or worse shape if it had stayed off the Internet for the last decade?"

Don't get me wrong. I support an open Internet, I enjoy blogging, etc. But I think most print newspapers have embraced a business model that is not profitable.

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by David Bratzer

They're killing themselves. I mean, they are giving their content away online for free. Even (most) paywalls are losing money. Ask yourself, "Would the average local daily be in better or worse shape if it had stayed off the Internet for the last decade?"

Don't get me wrong. I support an open Internet, I enjoy blogging, etc. But I think most print newspapers have embraced a business model that is not profitable.

I see what you are saying, and indeed most are doing badly.

But look at your choice of words there, you say they have "embraced a business model". I don't think any have embraced it, they went grudgingly with it. And I blame a bit on their old-school unionized staff, and most on management.

I read the TC online every day, and I know I am missing out on some pictures etc, but I bet some don't think they are missing anything. Why not give me 1/2 the story, or remind me every time I read the thing, that "Sundays print edition has a full photo-feature on this subject" or something. Selling me the Sunday paper is better than nothing.

I just think they went online half-heartedly, and now they don't know where they should be.

[Holden West]

Maybe it was because the technology was too far behind the ideal business model. With 20/20 hindsight and no technological limitations, it would be easy to say the best thing would have been a full digital paper behind a paywall in the year 2000. No pay, no news. Now that technology has finally allowed us to quickly download a perfect replica of the paper on any digital device, we have become used to "free" news.

[sdwright.vic]

Originally Posted by David Bratzer

Ask yourself, "Would the average local daily be in better or worse shape if it had stayed off the Internet for the last decade?"

If I where to ask myself that I would say yes, they are better off. They are getting advertising revenue that they would not of gotten otherwise, or been able to sell print / online advertising packages. If they where not online, trust me, the would not have people lining up at their door to subscribe again to their paper. The paper lost any "usefulness" years ago, and the ownership of the paper has shown it really didn't care about it either. The print errors are awful, and quality, the same.

If they removed their online edition, like a tree falling in the woods.... after a while would anyone care? Their are to many other ways to get your new now.