Following is a memo Publisher Arnie Garson of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., sent to employees earlier today, according to one of my readers. His note comes amid a big push by U.S. newspaper chief Bob Dickey to increase Sunday sales. As of March 31, the C-J's Sunday circulation was 239,234, according to the most recent Audit Bureau of Circulations data.
Last Sunday, The Courier-Journal's home delivery volume crossed over into positive territory versus prior year. It was the culmination of an enormous effort that began in January and hasn't let up. And it has paid off. On Sunday, July 25, our paid home delivery volume was 0.5% ahead of last year. We are confident that the number will continue to grow.
One of the most important things about this result is that it begins to add some hard evidence to what we've known all along (but some competitors may have doubted) -- that newspapers still have a viable future, even in the face of a troubled economy and even in the face of a transformation in the way people get information. Our message now is that on Sunday, the most important day of the week, and in home delivery, the most important circulation category, The Courier-Journal is growing, not declining. That's a powerful message, and it should make all of us feel good.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
12 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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A 0.5% increase on a 239,234 base would be an additional 1,200 copies.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of discount are they using? Are they luring subscribers away from seven day delivery?
ReplyDeleteThey must be doing something right in Louisville. We've heard a lot of negatives in the past - the botched Kentucky Derby issue, a pull-back in coverage of some outlying areas - but they must be doing something.
ReplyDeleteTell us what it is Louisville. And has it involved an improved news report?
Speaking of the LCJ, overheard the following conversation last Sunday in a Cincinnati hospital waiting room.
ReplyDeleteGentleman(carrying Cincinnati Enquirer) to Woman: Where are you from?
Woman: Louisville.
Gentleman: Oh, I was going to offer you a section of the paper, but our paper doesn't compare to yours.
Woman: Hah, the LCJ is NOT what is used to be!
It is now a Gannett paper and has lost all of the local feel that it once had. It seems they have forgotton how to do investigative reporting or anything relating to hard news.
Doubt she is one of the new Sunday subscribers.
I used to work at the LCJ and they love to play games the the Circ numbers. So buyer beware. I must admit its the only newspaper I have ever worked, so maybe they all play circ number games. Its well known in lousiville to be a paper that people used to love. The hospital room in Cincy story is right on par with what people will say about the newspaper in Lousiville. There is nothing left in that product. The people do like the sunday coupons but thats about it. Lest us not forget http://tinyurl.com/27vg3dw !
ReplyDeleteJeez, seeing as how the local "Center of Excellence" has nobody else to dump their own customer calls on, maybe they take care of their subscribers.
ReplyDeleteYou know, like we USED to do. Back when we delivered missed papers instead of telling people to read it online and here's your credit.
This is like the epitome of what this blog is. Some good news gets posted, finally, and everyone just tries to cut it down. There are still a lot of great people in Louisville doing great work. How about some acknowledgement of that?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your frustration, 10:55 a.m. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but . . .
ReplyDeleteI know people that have dropped Sunday subscription months ago one in particular last October. Guess what most are still receiving it for free.
ReplyDelete10:55 -- I think one reason people are wary is the way Gannett achieves these numbers. Reno is also in the midst of a big Sunday push. And, from what I've heard, Sunday circulation numbers are up.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, the Sunday paper is looking pretty good because management has thrown tons of resources at it. Sadly, many of those resources were redirected from working on other days of the week.
My questions, for every paper doing these Sunday pushes, are: Are you getting only new Sunday subscriptions? Are subscriptions for other days of the week falling off? Is the paper becoming more like a weekly?
The lesson here may be, as the Louisville publisher says, that newspaper circulation can grow. But if that's true, it was achieved through investments in the news product, not massive cuts as we've seen in recent years.
I would argue that if Gannett put the same kind of time, care and money into producing its papers seven days a week, circulation might grow even more. Trouble is that would mean rehiring many of the people they just fired, and that would increase expenses.
In the long run, I suspect Gannett will drop print editions early in the week: Mondays and Tuesdays, then perhaps Saturdays.
ReplyDeleteI think Wednesdays are still big advertising days in some markets because of grocer ads. And Thursdays and Fridays get weekend-related entertainment advertising. Sunday, as always, has been a big ad day because people spend more time reading those editions.
So, over time, Sunday could be the last print edition standing. For that reason, it would make sense to push it hard now.
As a former Gannett circ employee, let me assure you that any Sunday subscription gain is 90% due to circ sales promotional efforts (discounting, sample copies/extended grace periods for non-paying subscribers who would otherwise have to come off the books) and 10% due to enhancement to the news product.
ReplyDeleteI know that editorial folks like to think that their work has a direct impact on any bump in circulation...but think about it...how would a non-reader be aware of those improvements? They do not buy the paper. Only through promotional mailings, gift card enticements to subscribe and free sample copies thrown and counted as circ are numbers increased in the short term.