AP folds? Agrees to change membership structure, pricing

A bit of good news in this tough newspaper environment, IMO:

http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/pr_102308a.html

 

How is this good news, except perhaps in the extreme short term? Less revenue for AP equals less news coverage. The money has to come from somewhere.

 

AP's revenue has grown significantly over the past 10 years thanks to new clients on the Net. If you've been following the recent controversy, their new rate plans were forcing newspapers to pay more for the same content they used to be getting for less.

This essentially will go back to the status quo that was in place a few years ago.

 

frank, you hit the nail on the head.

AP will find a way to get this money back.

 

yeah, by charging Yahoo! and the other online outlets more.
As they should.
AP is a coop, if buyers aren't contributing to the wire, AP should charge them more.

I also think that the more you contribute, the less you should pay. Instead of getting the Twain Award or some nonsense, cut papers a break the more that goes in.

 

the AP isn't going to charge these people more. that'd be a slap in the face to the world wide leader.

 

A friend at the AP says more than 100 papers filed notices of cancellation since the new rate structure became official, and the number was growing monthly.

Obviously the AP had a choice, and they are choosing to meet their members needs by cutting the price. Yes, I think they'll charge the Net users more.

 

believe it when i see it. too progressive.

 

We got rid of AP...and we're in the same building with them. I say good riddance.

 

Seems like AP should hook up with Reuters, Bloomberg and the WashPo and NYT syndicates in an OPEC like consortium for the Internets. Set the price for news, as news demand grows, jack the price up, as it slackens, ease the price. News should be treated as what it is, a commodity.

 

You mean like... collusion in a trust, right?