Forum Communications not interested in Star Tribune

CEO says he's not interested

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=224072&section=news

Here's a MinnPost column that floats the idea.

http://www.minnpost.com/davidbrauer/2008/12/03/4985/a_30_million_problem_whats_next_for_the_strib

 

My friend made a suggestion to me that -- at first -- doesn't sound like a terrible idea: Move Monday-Saturday online and just do a Sunday paper. Or just do a weekend preview on Fridays and a Sunday paper. Didn't sound terrible and it would cut the costs of printing and delivering. Takers? Haters?

 

I'd say it should go to whatever days it is profitable and drop the days that lose money.

 

I believe in 2009 we'll see a lot of papers drop the unprofitable days and push harder to the web.

 

I have a problem with how this paper got into such a bind in the first place. I always thought the St. Paul paper would be in this predicament or worse.

 

It got in a bind because the owners went into debt to buy the paper. Interest payments add up.

 

Debt-for-equity swap may be in play

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2008/12/01/daily51.html?ana=from_rss

 

One problem with cutting down the number of days you publish is that your regular advertisers, who are your biggest advertisers, are going to demand a commensurate cut in their rates, because they're getting less exposure to your audience.
The longer-term problem is that once your readers discover that life goes on when they don't get the paper on Tuesday, many of them conclude the same thing will happen if they don't get it on any other days.

 

I continue to be amazed that the ratio of daily circulation to Sunday circulation still is as high as it is across the country. Think Minneapolis is something like 300,000 to 500,000, and so are plenty of other places.

But everyone I talk with always says, "I usually buy the Sunday paper, but don't have time during the week."

This has to be the result of subscription deals that all but give away the daily papers, right? I think many people would miss having a Sunday newspaper, maybe even some of the kids, but would be just fine without the other six days.