the death of fairfax, page-23

hergerr,

I'm quite old enough to know about the media thanks. I worked in it for 20 years. So I happen to know what I'm talking about.

I agree in theory $1 a day doesn't seem much. But nobody much is paying it. And they haven't for years. Why will that suddenly change? Newspaper circulation was dropping well before the internet delivered the death blow. Most people - for better or worse - get their news elsewhere these days. TV and radio, the internet (still lots of free news out there), blogs, Twitter, pay TV etc. So actually you do have a choice to not pay for news and that's the choice most people are making. Look at the data, it speaks for itself.

So while dreams of 1 in 10 people subscribing sound nice, it ain't gonna happen. Maybe if the price was more like 10c a day it would have some chance, but I still doubt it.

Brisbane Times IS Fairfax's serious attempt at taking on the Courier Mail. There is no other bullet in the chamber believe me. That's it. Takes a lot to launch a new title and they're cutting resources, not putting more in. The idea it will be expanded to take on the Courier Mail further is extremely far-fetched. Throwing good money after bad.