The Columbus Dispatch Rate Increase

• Prescott

  A few days ago I received a letter from The Columbus Dispatch alerting to the fact that my subscription rate for every day delivery would go from $32.00 every ten weeks to $64.90 every ten weeks.
  
  I wondered if others had received a similar notification and what rate subscribers are paying now.
• Apple

  

  Looks like some of the former jjhuddle employees may have landed at the Col. Dispatch!
• GoChiefs

  

  Damn..that's quite a rate increase!
• Chesapeake

  

  Sounds like Columbus Dispatch will be signing off soon.
• believer

  

  ^^^^This....
  
  Newspapers across the country are in trouble due the Internet, crappy "journalism", etc. So how does the Dispatch reward its loyal customers? They DOUBLE the rates.
  
  That's just dumb. Apparently they have a death wish.
• Fab4Runner

  

  Yikes...why in the world would they think doubling their rates would be a good idea? I get that they may need to raise them but double is just crazy.
• ts1227

  

  Old people who read the papers are creatures of habit and will pay it just so they have a paper to read, because they hate change and technology (aka all the stuff in the paper is free on the internet).
  
  Even if people cancel at first, they'll just start buying it everyday at the convenience store.
  
  My dad bitches about the crappy paper around here every day, and even after a rate increase the piece of shit is still in the box at the end of the driveway every day.
• Prescott

  I went to Meijer's tonight and The Columbus Disaptch had a sales kiosk there. I asked the salesman what the rate was and he offered me $4.49 per week if I signed up for 13 weeks.
  
  The moral of the story is that The Columbus Dispatch will give new subscribers a much better rate than loyla long-time subscribers. Awesome!!!!
• 2kool4skool

  

  Why in the hell would anyone subscribe to a newspaper anymore?
• Sage

  

  Dispatch must be in a world of hurt if this is their battle plan.
  
  Newspapers will be dead before I'm 50. They just can't keep up with the speed of information & the big time writers are going online now.
• sleeper

  

  Wow, double?
  
  Are they trying to lose customers?
• GoChiefs

  

  Prescott wrote: The moral of the story is that The Columbus Dispatch will give new subscribers a much better rate than loyla long-time subscribers. Awesome!!!!

  Correct..just like every other company out there trying to get new customers. It's not like the Dispatch is the first to practice this.
• ss7

  I didn't get a letter but I received this info on my bill. There is no way in hell that I'm renewing.
• cbus4life

  They won't lose a whole lot, IMO.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Well you double your rate, and if they lose less than 50% of their subscribers, they are making a good decision.
  
  I do agree with everyone that the Dispatch is a pathetic paper, but what else are you going to do? Sure you can get the USA Today or Wall Street Journal, but for local news the Dispatch is it.
• Apple

  

  cbus4life wrote: They won't lose a whole lot, IMO.

  That's what JJ said...
• JoeA1010

  ^ I'm not sure, he might have been talking about the people who drop the Dispatch as the ones who won't lose a lot.
  
  I have noticed the Dispatch has gotten much worse in its copy editing. I notice missed words, misspellings and other mistakes it seems almost every day. If they are doubling the price, they will lose readers, which will eventually hurt advertising rates. Next thing we know Marrison will write a Sunday column once again reminding us how important he and the Dispatch are to our lives and then calling for a federal bailout.
• behindthelense

  I think I'll start a free newspaper.......give me a few minutes and I'll have more details.
• Prescott

  Well you double your rate, and if they lose less than 50% of their subscribers, they are making a good decision.

  I'm not sure about this. I would think that the advertising rates would be based somewhat on the total circulation. Losing circulation would translate into a loss of advertising revenue.
• 2kool4skool

  

  Prescott wrote:

  Well you double your rate, and if they lose less than 50% of their subscribers, they are making a good decision.

  I'm not sure about this. I would think that the advertising rates would be based somewhat on the total circulation. Losing circulation would translate into a loss of advertising revenue.

  This is true, although money from advertising has dropped even further than money from subscriptions. Craigslist has hurt newspapers as much as any online news outlet.
  
  Regardless, stupid decision by The Dispatch. Although many/most people that still pay for a newspaper will accept the increase, because if they really cared about cost, they wouldn't be subscribing to a newspaper in 2010 anyway.
• sleeper

  

  Prescott wrote:

  Well you double your rate, and if they lose less than 50% of their subscribers, they are making a good decision.

  I'm not sure about this. I would think that the advertising rates would be based somewhat on the total circulation. Losing circulation would translate into a loss of advertising revenue.

  ^ This is true.
  
  Also, I'd like to add, I don't think they are going to give this rate increase to everyone, just a few at first, and judging by if they can maintain a certain amount of revenue, they'll add more.
  
  Or not.
• Prescott

  because if they really cared about cost, they wouldn't be subscribing to a newspaper in 2010 anyway.

  Actually, my wife uses coupons and saves $5.00-$10.00 a week on our grocery bill using coupons that come with the newspaper.
• BCBulldog

  

  I only get Saturday and Sunday and they want something like $36 for 10 weeks now. I will not be renewing. I can get everything I need online.
• joebaseball

  

  Prescott wrote: Actually, my wife uses coupons and saves $5.00-$10.00 a week on our grocery bill using coupons that come with the newspaper.

  Actually if your wife shops at Kroger you can load most coupons to your Kroger card online. I know you can for the P & G coupons and a few others.
  
  With the rates going up, (we have paid through early Feb.) I don't think I will be renewing. I usually like it so I have something to read in the bathroom in the morning. I think it is now cheaper to buy an ipod touch and mount a shelf for it in the bathroom and just read it online than to pay for a year of the dispatch. WTF
• 2kool4skool

  

  Prescott wrote:

  because if they really cared about cost, they wouldn't be subscribing to a newspaper in 2010 anyway.

  Actually, my wife uses coupons and saves $5.00-$10.00 a week on our grocery bill using coupons that come with the newspaper.

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