Is the Oregonian's other shoe about to drop?

And the other shoe falls. Oregonian Media Group debuts in the fall. Home delivery four days a week. Employees informed today.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/oregonian-media-group.html#incart_river

 

Really sorry I was wrong about this. Also sounds like a paywall is coming to OregonLive.

 

Out of curiosity, where have you heard that? Because that would be unlike any other Newhouse/Advance property in the country and would be totally out of step with their stated strategy.

 

" Those home delivery subscribers that choose the three-day subscription option will also have access to a digital edition seven days a week. Subscribers will be informed of the new rates in early August."

I realize OLive and the Oregonian are "cousins" and not the same thing - but if a selling point to a print subscription is access to a digital edition of the paper (which provides content to O-Live) - you would have to think at least a partial paywall is in the works.

 

Seems that The Oregonian will also move to a new newsroom, though a location and date have not been determined.

 

Looks like subscribers get home delivery on W-F-Sun, with Sat thrown in as a "bonus" for sports coverage.

Judging by the comments on the oregonlive link, current subscribers aren't fooled by, or thrilled with, that "bonus."

There's some damn good writers at the Oregonian ... hope as many as possible survive the slashing of newsroom jobs which always accompanies this move.

 

In Cleveland, which is doing the same thing, Cleveland.com will remain free, but print subscribers will get access to the seven-day "digital replica" of the paper.

This is just for the diehards who like to see their paper in that format and no other.

I imagine the Oregonian will do the same thing.

 

Granted, it's probably down the list of things, but how does reduced delivery impact comic strips? I don't know if there are many left with continuing storylines, but I do remember the hell that rained down when I paper I worked at dumped Mary Worth or Rex Morgan, MD. You break that day to day connection, the Little Buddy on the doorstep as Lewis Grizzard described the daily paper, and likely impossible to get back.
When someone is reading the paper, the paper has their undivided attention. On the web, you are competing with every other website out there.

 

In places that have went to 3 or 4 day formats, those editions have two or more pages to comics to keep up with the story lines. So the Wednesday paper would have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday comics and so forth.

 

Per @rfrank_emerald, donations to a bar tab at a watering hole across the street from The Oregonian are now at $1200.

 

ask subscribers in Alabama about that "enhanced news content" in the now thrice-weekly editions. Most that I have talked to are not fans.