In late October, Newsday, the Long Island daily that the Dolans bought for $650 million, put its web site, newsday.com, behind a pay wall. The paper was one of the first non-business newspapers to take the plunge by putting up a pay wall, so in media circles it has been followed with interest. Could its fate be a sign of what others, including The New York Times, might expect?
So, three months later, how many people have signed up to pay $5 a week, or $260 a year, to get unfettered access to newsday.com?
The answer: 35 people. As in fewer than three dozen. As in a decent-sized elementary-school class.
That astoundingly low figure was revealed in a newsroom-wide meeting last week by publisher Terry Jimenez when a reporter asked how many people had signed up for the site. Mr. Jimenez didn’t know the number off the top of his head, so he asked a deputy sitting near him. He replied 35.
Michael Amon, a social services reporter, asked for clarification.
“I heard you say 35 people,” he said, from Newsday’s auditorium in Melville. “Is that number correct?”
Mr. Jimenez nodded.
The web site redesign and relaunch cost the Dolans $4 million, according to Mr. Jimenez. With those 35 people, they’ve grossed about $9,000.
In that time, without question, web traffic has begun to plummet, and, certainly, advertising will follow as well.
Of course, there are a few caveats. Anyone who has a newspaper subscription is allowed free access; anyone who has Optimum Cable, which is owned by the Dolans and Cablevision, also gets it free. Newsday representatives claim that 75 percent of Long Island either has a subscription or Optimum Cable.
Mr. Jimenez was in no mood to apologize. “That’s 35 more than I would have thought it would have been,” said Mr. Jimenez to the assembled staff, according to five interviews with Newsday staffers.
He argued that the web was not intended to be a revenue generator, but rather to provide extra benefit to loyal subscribers.
Read more at http://www.observer.com/2010/media/after-three-months-only-35-subscriptions-newsdays-web-site#
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6 Responses
1. They are only charging non-subscribers, but since it is basically a “local” newspaper, anyone interested enough in local affairs to subscribe online, is probably already a print subscriber.
2. The only real success at charging for content is the Wall Street Journal, which has high quality editorial content (serious, unbiased reporting), not to mention a good collection of usually right-wing opinion articles (which are segregated from the news reporting).
And, Mr. Kuperman, we know you only read the right-wing opinion articles so you’ll have something to mock and pillory. If the WSJ is successful through a good collection of usually right-wing opinion articles, we shouldn’t take too seriously your posts as an unpaid apologist for the biggest blunder to ever be elected to the presidency.
What makes anyone think that a right winger would be an apologist for Obama?
That makes no sense at all.
hereorthere:
According to #2, akuperma reads the right-wing articles so he’ll have something to “mock and pillory.” That implies that akuperma is, in fact, NOT a right-winger. (Feel free to look up “mock” and “pillory.”)
Therefore, what you said “makes no sense at all.”
everyone knows that snoozeday is a left wing rag enjoyed by non-frum libs on the island. theres nothing in there thats worth a look.
Haifagirl #2 SAID that akuperma was a right wing apologist for the biggest blunder we have ever had as president.
That biggest blunder was Obama who right wingers would not support.
So my comment ‘did’ make sense unlike your criticism of me.