We have subscribed to the Houston Chronicle for many years. I have always purchased a yearly subscription. I want you to see what they have been doing to the subscription rates.
| Year | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronicle Yearly Rate | $102.00 | $102.00 | $186.00 | $186.00 | $186.00 | $186.00 | $192.00 | $264.00 | $288.00 |
| Yearly Percent Increase | 0.00% | 0.00% | 82.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 3.23% | 37.50% | 9.09% |
| Cumulative Percent Increase | 0.00% | 0.00% | 82.35% | 82.35% | 82.35% | 82.35% | 85.58% | 123.08% | 132.17% |
| Yearly Percent Inflation | 1.59% | 2.27% | 2.68% | 3.39% | 3.24% | 2.85% | 3.85% | -0.34% | 1.17% |
| Cumulative Percent Inflation | 1.59% | 3.86% | 6.54% | 9.93% | 13.17% | 16.02% | 19.87% | 19.53% | 20.70% |
Notice that the cost of a 1-year subscription has increased a total of 132.17% in the last 8 years, while the total percent inflation increase over the same period has been only 20.70%.
It is my understanding that newspapers receive the bulk of their income from advertisers. It is also my understanding that the better the circulation, the more attractive it is to advertise with that publication. So it would seem natural to me that a newspaper would want to increase the number of subscribers, right?
To the management of the Houston Chronicle: You don’t entice folks to subscribe to your publication by dramatically increasing subscription prices!
