MASON CITY – In a clear sign that demand for their paper is waning, the Globe Gazette says they won’t produce a newspaper on Mondays anymore.
In a quiet story that didn’t make their Facebook page, the Globe Gazette announced a “switch to a six-day weekly publication schedule”. The Lee Enterprises-owned newspaper will publish only Tuesday through Sunday, beginning next month. It was just two years ago that the Globe announced it had spent $2 million on a used printing press, apparently to fix up the blurry newspaper pages it was delivering. Now, those newspapers are getting smaller and will be delivered much less often.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet said in 2014 newspapers are on the way out and the number of people looking at them “is going down”. It could very well be that this genius economist was foretelling the future in the case of the Globe Gazette. Some are already speculating that it is just a matter of time before the Globe Gazette becomes a weekly newspaper. One Globe Gazette employee told NIT “Yeah. Pretty sad day” when asked about the Globe surrendering on Mondays and producing no paper.
As the Globe made their announcement, its parent company, Lee Enterprises, released its quarterly financial report, and it was less than stellar. Here are some highlights:
- In the third quarter, subscription revenue was nearly flat, decreasing 0.5%
- Overall revenue decreased 4.9%
- As of June 26, 2016, the principal amount of debt was $640.3 million
- Lee continues its comprehensive real estate monetization program (selling off real estate)
- Advertising and marketing services revenue combined decreased 8.6% to $92.3 million, with retail advertising down 6.9%, classified down 14.0% and national down 1.8%.
- Compensation decreased 2.1%, primarily as a result of reduced staffing levels
- Newsprint and ink expense decreased 11.0%, primarily the result of a reduction in newsprint volume and prices
I have no symphathy for an organization that backs liars and corruption such as the Demorat party and it backers.
Wonder how this will affect their “funny math” with regard to subscriptions? For some reason you subscribe for 52 weeks but you don’t get 52 weeks. Should get 365 papers. But they don’t publish on holidays so those don’t count. Thanksgiving and other “special” issues count as more than 1 paper so they subtract that from you subscription. You would think the not published holiday paper would make up for the double charge but it doesn’t.
So if I paid several months ago for a 52 week subscription, 7 papers a week do I get a refund or subscription extension now that they are 6 days a week?
2 years ago they gave us a deal on a 52 week subscription. After 10 months we get a renewal notice saying our subscription expires soon. We stop in at the Globe and they explain that yes, we had a 52 week subscription but because of the good deal we got our paper is only “valued” a $0.40 a day. So the $4.00 “special” issues subtracted 10 papers each time from our subscription. So that is how a 52 week (1 year) subscription ends up only being a 10.5 months subscription.
I do have a great carrier who gets the paper close to my door step most of the time so I hope the 6 day a week schedule resulting in less income for the carries doesn’t force him/her to quit.
Great point. I predict the Globe RAISES the cost of its paper. How can they do this and look folks in the eye? Because they know no shame to start with. It will shrink again and again and the cost goes up, even as they shed days it’s delivered each week. I’m thinking their circulation numbers are NOT what they say. I can tell you, I see the racks in the convenience stores. One rack or shelf for the DM Reg the other for the Globe. DM Reg always empty. Glob always has at least several left if not the entire stack. People are wising up, and it’s refreshing.
I see Phil in the picture with John.
Two guys that need to be retired!
Close the Globe. Printed news papers is going to be in the past. Most people get thier news from the TV or Internet.
What will Skipper do on his day off? Let’s hear your ideas!!
Rumor has it that on Mondays, John Skipper will spend all day with Matt Marquardt teaching & mentoring Matt on the finer points of journalism.
Sources close to this developing story have reported that Marquardt is absolutely ecstatic and can hardly wait.
One of the trusted sources also reported that Marquardt stated ” I am beyond thrilled, John Skipper has been my hero since
I was a wee lad. The thought of being mentored by the great John Skipper has me in heaven.”
We will continue to monitor this developing story.
The Globe is now known as The Prestage Press and always wiil be!
The Globe is still being printed?!?!?! OMG!
I read their article–NEXT to the one with our Governor being at McKesson on WEDNESDAY–but both articles appeared in FRIDAY’s paper.
Nice to see Matt & NIT are quicker on getting the news out.
My money is on NIT !
Also, we subscribers paid for a service. That was 7 days a week.
Notice how this VERY important issue was passed over in their article???
I am curious to know if they will cut the cost. If not, I will cut the paper.
Oh my goodness!! You mean I won’t be able to read John Skipper’s “silly me” stuff?
But I bet the price will stay the same or even increase some. Its known as Less for More
They haven’t been printing on Monday holidays for quite a while. They look at holidays as an excuse to NOT publish.
They have a problem with reporting the news. Just look at the way they reported, or didn’t report, the Superintendent of Schools story. They are a lib paper and people just aren’t buying it. There just aren’t enough Bodies and other crats around to buy their papers.