Newspaper's Harrison readers to be converted to digital

Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette iPad
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette iPad

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is converting its circulation to digital only -- except for Sundays -- for subscribers who live in the Harrison area.

This is a test and has no effect on subscribers in other parts of Northwest Arkansas, said Brent Powers, president of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

He said letters are going out this week to about 500 subscribers in the Harrison area to inform them about the change, which should be completed by the end of January.

The newspaper will provide subscribers in Harrison with Apple iPads, if they want them, so they can read a digital replica of the newspaper.

"I know our Harrison area readers will love the new iPad replica," Powers said. "While this is an isolated test for our Sunday newspaper plus 24/7 access to our seven-day digital replica, we are very excited about the opportunity."

Delivery of a printed newspaper to subscribers will stop except for Sunday. The Sunday edition will still be printed, delivered and available for single-copy sale around Harrison.

Walter Hussman, who is publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and chairman of WEHCO Media, Inc., has been working for about a year to convert subscribers in the 63 counties outside Northwest Arkansas to the digital edition, plus Sunday print edition.

He said that conversion also should be completed by the end of January.

Hussman said he was getting a conversion rate of about 80% in outlying areas of the state and over 90% in Pulaski County.

Hussman said 24,169 iPads had been distributed as of Thursday and another 1,832 people had signed up to get them. He said not all subscribers wanted iPads. The digital replica of the newspaper also can be read on computers or smartphones.

Hussman said the iPads cost the company about $350 each.

WEHCO Media schedules training sessions to help readers who need a tutorial on iPad operation. Hussman said reading the replica version of the newspaper on an iPad is a vast improvement when compared to reading a newspaper on its website.

The Harrison change is the first foray of WEHCO Media's iPad distribution into the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's 12-county circulation area.

Hussman, who is also publisher of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said subscription rates may increase for some Harrison readers.

He said the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette lost money in 2017, 2018 and is on track to lose money in 2019.

Hussman said raising subscription prices is essential to returning the newspaper to profitability.

"Whether we continue a print publication or we go with iPads, the fact is in any economic model the newspaper is just not sustainable at the current rate," he said.

Hussman said the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette need to get $34 per month from subscribers.

"If we can get everyone to $34, we've got a much better chance of being profitable," he said.

Because of a once-vibrant newspaper competition in Northwest Arkansas, some subscribers are still paying considerably less than that, Hussman said.

He said subscription rates may be raised incrementally, like $1 a month until subscribers are paying $34.

"If it works, we'll probably proceed to other places in Northwest Arkansas," Hussman said. "If it doesn't work, we'll have to try for some other alternative."

Hussman said the company is spending about $10 million on iPads statewide.

"In a time where many newspaper publishers are pulling back on distribution footprints and local news coverage, Mr. Hussman is making an investment so that we can continue to offer quality journalism through new distribution methods," Powers said.

"We're optimistic," Hussman said of the iPads. "The main thing we're optimistic that when people try it they like it. We think there's a good shot at returning the newspaper to profitability, not a lot of profitability, but some profitability."

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is distributed in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Newton, Sebastian, Scott and Washington counties.

Business on 12/06/2019

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