Tulsa World announces price increase

[Ed W]

The World announced a newsstand price increase today.  The weekday and Saturday paper will cost $0.75 - an increase of $0.25, and the Sunday paper will cost $2.00, an increase of $0.50.  Subscription prices are unchanged.

Didn't they announce that the paper would combine and truncate various sections and shorten some articles in order to save space and use less newsprint?  That was a few weeks ago, if I recall right.  Starting October 12th, the local daily will cost the same as USAToday.  I have to wonder if it's worth the same.  The bottom line is there's less to the newspaper and it costs more.

Finally, I have to wonder if similar price increases have been passed along to the advertisers, any newspaper's lifeblood, after all.

[Hoss]

Probably more to do with the fact they went from a subscription based online services to fully open like most reputable newspapers have done.

This isn't happening just here.  It's happening all over the country.  Why read your newspaper at the kitchen table when you can get the same online?  Print media then has to compensate for the lack of revenue by adjusting prices to keep up.

As far as passing the prices along to advertisers, that probably didn't happen, given the fact that internet advertising is so inexpensive and other forms of electronic media are making the advertising dollar so competitive now.

[RecycleMichael]

Newsprint prices have gone up dramatically. There is still tremendous demand for newsprint paper, both before and after printing.

Today's October 5th Tulsa World is worth ten cents to the non-profit where I work. Please recycle it. I really don't care where, in your curbside bin...in the bins near the schools and churchs...or at any of our dozen local M.e.t. recycling drop-off centers...

Old newpapers...too valuable to line bird cages ever again...

[Ed W]

Michael - my employer said a few years ago that recycling our waste paper was a money loser.  It cost more to collect and recycle than the paper was worth.  So they stopped the recycling effort.  Now, their waste is primarily white copied paper, not newsprint, but it seems to me that this stuff would be more valuable now than it was a few years back.  Also, there's a "green initiative" in place now.  It seems kind of ironic since we burn fossil fuel by the ton every day.  

So, if you're a silver-tongued devil and feel up to a challenge, I can put you in touch with our corporate communications guy.  Give him your best pitch.

Oh, and one other thing before I forget - I once bought a copy of The Oklahoman to put under the cat's litter box.  The ASPCA made me remove it, saying that it represented cruel and unusual punishment.

[RecycleMichael]

I would love to.

A few years ago paper was worth little. We recycled it because it could be. We also recycled because it may not make money, but it made jobs. There are paper recyling jobs acreoss the region, including 1,200 employees in Muskogee.

Recycling doesn't just save trees and landfill space, it makes jobs right here in Oklahoma. The M.e.t. employees over a hundred workers with disabilities, the place we sell to another 30 jobs in Sand Springs.

Newspaper is gold, but your white copier paper is platinum. Separated and baled, white 20 lb copier paper is worth 16 cents a pound.

[sgrizzle]

Their subscription rates will go up to follow, just wait. If you want the paper and don't now, sign up at one of the existing "special" rates now ($6/mo weekend, $9/mo everyday)

[inteller]

The Ark Dem-Gaz was $1.50 Sunday paper for as long as I can remember.....I always thought TW was cheap for a Sunday paper.

[joiei]

The Kansas City Star had a piece in today's paper about their needing to raise prices also.  So this is not happening just in Tulsa, it is/will be  happening all over.

[waterboy]

There is little relation between the price of single paper purchase and the cost of newsprint. Most likely the raise in single paper purchase price is do to fuel costs. It may enable carriers and box routes to catch up with their increased costs. Distribution really just breaks even. Subscription and advertising revenues keep the paper afloat.

[Townsend]

My neighbor was informed his subscription to Tulsa World would increase to over $200 a year so he called to cancel.

He was offered the "inhouse" rate of $120 a year to continue his subscription.  A drop of $30 annually from his current cost..

Just a heads up for anyone still getting the paper.

[ARGUS]

TULSA WORLD sucks!

[blindnil]

The story clearly said this WOULD NOT AFFECT SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Jeez, people can't even read.

Personally I think the newspaper in every community ... including Tulsa ... does the public a great service. Basically what the TV and radio news do every night is offer a Cliff's Notes version of what was in the paper that morning. People who are well-informed read the paper ... and that doesn't mean you have to agree with their opinion pages and editorials.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by blindnil

The story clearly said this WOULD NOT AFFECT SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Jeez, people can't even read.

Personally I think the newspaper in every community ... including Tulsa ... does the public a great service. Basically what the TV and radio news do every night is offer a Cliff's Notes version of what was in the paper that morning. People who are well-informed read the paper ... and that doesn't mean you have to agree with their opinion pages and editorials.

You're right, the story clearly states THIS will not affect subscription rates.

Read between the lines.

[sauerkraut]

Ouch- That is a huge price hike. I know that newsprint went up but a 25 cent hike is overkill. There is not that much in the paper anyhow. It's cheaper just to read it on-line. However they are not alone I believe the Kansas City Star is 75 cents and $2.00 on Sunday. I guess soon the 75 cent daily paper will be the standard price all over. "USA-Today" has been at 75 cents for along time.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by ARGUS

TULSA WORLD sucks!

Wow, what an informed response.

DON'T READ IT!

There, I'm finished shouting.

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