Comments on: To Offset Declining Sales, Paper Raises Price http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/to_offset_declining_sales_paper_raises_price/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:20:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: dw http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/to_offset_declining_sales_paper_raises_price/comment-page-1/#comment-35467 dw Sat, 05 Feb 2005 06:55:15 +0000 /?p=9129#comment-35467 Both papers were at 50 cents in the late 90s, but they were both ravaged by a newspaper strike in 2000-01 (the Times more than the P-I, since the P-I caved pretty early while the Times tried to break the union.) During the strike the Times was free; once the strike ended both papers settled on 25 cents as a "make-right" price and never raised it. Whether the Times is failing or not is a matter of great conjecture. They outsell the P-I 2-1, control the JOA, and are generally popular in the state, setting themselves up between the liberal and pro-union P-I and the local, more conservative papers (Spokane's Spokesman-Review, Vancouver's Columbian). What's really going on is that the Times is trying to drive Hearst out of town, and they're not doing a very good job of it. The Times is intentionally losing money and not hiding it very well. Eventually, one paper will win out in Seattle, and it's a tossup as to who does. It's possible, too, that the Everett and Tacoma papers could try to extend their coverage into Seattle. Both papers were at 50 cents in the late 90s, but they were both ravaged by a newspaper strike in 2000-01 (the Times more than the P-I, since the P-I caved pretty early while the Times tried to break the union.) During the strike the Times was free; once the strike ended both papers settled on 25 cents as a "make-right" price and never raised it.

Whether the Times is failing or not is a matter of great conjecture. They outsell the P-I 2-1, control the JOA, and are generally popular in the state, setting themselves up between the liberal and pro-union P-I and the local, more conservative papers (Spokane's Spokesman-Review, Vancouver's Columbian). What's really going on is that the Times is trying to drive Hearst out of town, and they're not doing a very good job of it. The Times is intentionally losing money and not hiding it very well.

Eventually, one paper will win out in Seattle, and it's a tossup as to who does. It's possible, too, that the Everett and Tacoma papers could try to extend their coverage into Seattle.

]]> By: bryan http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/to_offset_declining_sales_paper_raises_price/comment-page-1/#comment-35455 bryan Sat, 05 Feb 2005 03:08:20 +0000 /?p=9129#comment-35455 I'm surprised these two are still charging 25 cents. Every paper I've worked for has been at least 50 cents since at least the mid-90s. No wonder the Times is such a money loser, if that's the way their management runs things. I'm surprised these two are still charging 25 cents. Every paper I've worked for has been at least 50 cents since at least the mid-90s.

No wonder the Times is such a money loser, if that's the way their management runs things.

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