The Huntsville Times: Alabama Media Group to stop publishing newspapers, including Huntsville Times, in 2023 (Madison: sale, Home Depot)

[Suesbal]

If a print newspaper can’t survive in a growing metropolitan area, then it really is a thing of the past.
I think newspaper readers tend to be older folks. When they die, no one replaces them as subscribers.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Suesbal

If a print newspaper can’t survive in a growing metropolitan area, then it really is a thing of the past.
I think newspaper readers tend to be older folks. When they die, no one replaces them as subscribers.

True.
My husband, 70, insists on reading the actual newspaper, but I (same age) prefer to peruse online.
We still need some sort of local news source. I don't know what will replace newspapers but something will, some day.
I sure hope.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by MisterEd51

The last print editions of the papers will come out on Sunday, February 26, 2023. Subscribers will continue to receive The Lede, a 7-day-a-week e-edition that reports on each city.

Non-subscribers can receive a free 30-day trial of the The Lede. After that The Lede costs $4.95 per month.

There is also the Huntsville Business Journal whose unlimited digital access also costs $4.95 per month.

I will rarely make an absolute claim. I am too old, too cautious, too street savvy to do that. I have in front of me a letter FROM the Huntsville Times. In one of the last black and white printed statements it will ever make it states:

"The last edition will be delivered on Sunday, February 26, 2023. After this date, your subscription will continue with access to all our content through The Lede, a daily, digital news publication from the Huntsville Times and AL.com and you will be billed at the current rate of $8.49, per Week."

That is an EXACT quote.

MisterEd, I call BS for "current" subscribers.

Looking online, NEW subscribers are offered the $4.95 for the Lede.

Perhaps John Archibald needs to look into this the same way he looked into that town that was giving traffic tickets indiscriminately...

[dwhisent]

That's odd. I am a current subscriber, and I was given (by phone) a new rate of $1.99/week. What you have for the weekly rate is pretty close to my monthly rate. I did ask about the $4.95/month rate, and they confirmed it was a promotion for new subscribers.

[MinivanDriver]

All print is dying. I bought the NYT Sunday edition today and it was really thin.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

All print is dying. I bought the NYT Sunday edition today and it was really thin.

Anout 10 years ago, the WSJ was far cheaper online than in print. Then about 5 years ago, it flipped. Now don’t even know if print is available for delivery.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Suesbal

If a print newspaper can’t survive in a growing metropolitan area, then it really is a thing of the past.
I think newspaper readers tend to be older folks. When they die, no one replaces them as subscribers.

I work for USPS, and only about six people on my route still get newspapers, and they're all probably over 70.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Anout 10 years ago, the WSJ was far cheaper online than in print. Then about 5 years ago, it flipped. Now don’t even know if print is available for delivery.

It still is in Birmingham.



It didn't help that newspapers are typically run by deeply stupid management teams. I tried consulting for the Birmingham News for three freaking years. With the exception of my direct contact who knew where things were headed, they were all dumber than a box of hair.



Without exception, none of them had ever had worked outside of newspapers, which meant they were resistant to any kind of thinking that wasn't stale newspaper marketing. They refused to look at their dwindling circulation numbers, and treated their customers with the arrogance of a public utility. Kept clinging to the business model of 1980, when newspapers peaked in circulation. Finally threw in the towel dealing with those folks.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Anout 10 years ago, the WSJ was far cheaper online than in print. Then about 5 years ago, it flipped. Now don’t even know if print is available for delivery.

The WSJ (Wall Street Journal) is sill available for delivery in the Huntsville area in certain zip codes - I know for Madison, zip code 35758, it is and I am pretty confident that in the City of Huntsville, the 35801, 35802 and the Hampton Cove neighborhoods (with an Owens Crossroads address) are receiving the print edition every morning, too. There could be some additional areas like 35803, the Village of Providence and NE Huntsville where it is delivered in the mornings, too.

For those not living in those (higher income) zip codes, the WSJ is delivered by the USPS in the afternoon mail.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I work for USPS, and only about six people on my route still get newspapers, and they're all probably over 70.

Of course, they used to be brought to your house by a delivery person, not the post office except maybe for out of town papers (lots of kids when I was a kid has newspaper routes, which they did on their bikes).

When the Times went to 3-days per week and added a digital version (was supposed to be included with the subscription). I tried to sign on numerous times, and had untold conversations with customer support, and I never could get registered. So I finally just dropped the whole thing.

Does the digital Lede give you access to Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile or is it just the one in your area? I might go for $2/month but I doubt that price would last very long before rising substantially.

I think it's a shame we had to do away with real papers, but it was inevitable. It was great reading the morning paper at breakfast and the evening edition after work, and spending an hour or so with the Sunday edition. That's hard to do - albeit more efficient - than reading it on a laptop (or God forbid, a phone).