Subscribers? We don't need 'em; can't afford 'em

One of the things that magazine people believe, almost an article of faith, is that subscribers beat single copy buyers every time. Not only do you get the money upfront, but you have multiple opportunities to keep those subscribers and you are able to demonstrate to advertisers that these people pay for the privilege of being exposed to their message. And the costs of renewing subscribers decline the longer you keep them.

Well, what to make of the story in Advertising Age that American Media is essentially shedding 325,000 paid subscribers to its Country Weekly magazine in favour of relying on a weekly sale of 75,000 single copies, give or take? They must be sure of their strategy since they are actually offering subscribers a refund or substitute subs to other AM publications like Star, Shape or the National Enquirer.

Country Weekly has been around for 15 years and has had its struggles, not least being its recent biweekly publishing schedule (what don't they understand about "weekly"?). The magazine reported an average of 316,231 paid subs in the first half of 2008, 3% up from the same period in 2007; newsstand sales dropped 19%.

The magazine will be publishing weekly again, at a reduced cover price of $2.49 (down from $3.49) but subscribers? It apparently thinks it can't afford them any more, blaming paper and postage costs and bleak advertising forecasts.