Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Star-Telegram daily circulation falls 13.8 percent (updated)

Daily circulation at the S-T dropped 13.8 percent in the past 6 months.

The Star-Telegram’s circulation fell 9.9 percent for Sunday, 13.8 percent weekdays, and 7.7 percent Saturday.

Publisher Gary Wortel said part of the loss occurred outside the paper’s core market. Among factors affecting sales was the discontinuation of a pizza restaurant’s program delivering newspapers along with food orders.


In revenue terms, the circulation declines were more than made up for by price hikes on single-copy sales in April and on home delivery in July, Wortel said. The rack price went from 50 cents to $1 weekdays and Saturday and from $1.50 to $2 Sunday. Monthly home delivery subscriptions rose from $17.50 to $19.95, a 14 percent increase.


Unfortunately, this article doesn't give the S-T's circulation number. To see the hard numbers for the Charlotte Observer, the Sacramento Bee, and the Miami Herald, go here.
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Update: a reader says daily circ for the S-T as of 3/31/09 was 189,357.

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

So I lost my job in March cause' of Pizza? Come on Gary, search for something better - you are such an ass.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they can talk a puppy food maker into giving people a free paper along with their product.

Anonymous said...

11:44: Sorry about your job loss, and I agree.

This is a first for me. A creative first, but a first.

A lying, Marxist, lib blames his papers circulation collapse on pizza?

Anonymous said...

As of the March 31, 2009, ABC report, Fort Worth was at 189,357. This 13.8 percent drop would apply to the number from the year-over-year period (Sept. 2008). Regardless, it isn't good, except in comparison to say, the Miami Herald.

Anonymous said...

11:44... without going in to any details that make you feel uncomfortable, would you tell us a bit more about what you did and what you are doing now. How is life post-McClatchy? What are you finding in the job market or have you already found a job? I am sure there are some emotional issues, care to share your feelings?

If you don't feel like discussing it I understand. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

According to the WSJ's interactive chart of the top 50 papers, The tar Telegram's circulation is now down to 167,364 now below the Charlotte Observer at 167,585.

The KC Star which was the 25th top rated paper 6 months ago has fallen several slots now smaller than the Sac Bee at 216,226.

Anonymous said...

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/NEWSPAPERS0903.html

Kevin Gregory said...

2:12 thanks for the heads up.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Gary Wortel can help boost circulation by delivering some pizza and papers. That way he can start doing something to justify his outrageous salary and bonus.

Anonymous said...

This is what happens when you get a publisher (Wortel) who comes from a small paper(Myrtle Beach) and is not ready for prime time in the big city (Fort Worth is now among the 20 largest cities in the U.S.)
He has taken 40 pages per week out of the paper; that's equivalent to not publishing a Monday paper.
When you take out the briefs, weather and 1 1/2 opinion pages out of the A section there are only 6-10 stories about what's going on in the nation and world on Monday and Tuesday. A recent series started on a Sunday but Part 2 of it wasn't published until Wednesday because of the lack of news hole in the A section.
Only someone divorced from reality like Wortel would be surprised at such a huge drop in circulation and spin out the ridiculous pizza excuse for his glaring failure of leadership.
He has taken a major metro and turned it into a paper that you would expect to see in a small or midsize city.
Earth to Gary: When you double the price of the paper and reduce the quality and quantity of news you drive away readers, advertisers and talented journalists.
BTW: The Dallas Morning News is ADDING features to its news coverage to justify its price increase to readers.

Anonymous said...

Gary Wort:

“We must first ask the baseline question of what the customer wants?”

“Hmm. Unbiased news or a Pizza?”

“PIZZA!”...... IDIOT

Anonymous said...

Wortel's excuse of the day:
The puppy ate my pizza and then my paper,er, I mean circulation.

GP said...

The moment I saw how Wortel stood by the horrid and talentless Barry Shlachter in mocking that poor kid's father's memorial service was the moment it became clear Wortel is a poor decision-maker and ineffective conflict diffuser. The FW-ST is becoming an embarrassing place for me to admit to working at.