On7 misses the point

When the Winnipeg Free Press considered their slumping subscription and pick up rates, they turned to an old newspaper trick - mess with the Sunday edition.

They had two choices: change it radically or nix it altogether. Enter On7. This pseudo-biblical named tabloid edition (what did who do on the 7th day?) is a real gamble for the Freep.

On7 features extended sports coverage and extended fluff… just the kind of thing people like to read, sitting at their kitchen tables after a leisurely Sunday brunch. Right? Wait, wasn’t that what the Sun was for? Why would this make sense, to mimic their direct competition?

There’s still news in On7, but I think most people will read it online where the real breaking news is.

I say they should have nixed the Sunday edition altogether. The Sun has the tabloid market secured, especially on Sunday. People love to read tabloids because they can still see the other people at their brunch table while doing so.

The biggest problem is that On7 is not delivered to homes. The Free Press said that delivery is where they lose the most money, but I wonder how much money they might have lost by not delivering. It’s a no-win situation and I don’t envy their position.

I think it’s likely that when it’s -40 out (or even -20 as it was today), they’ll find people aren’t trekking to the corner store or the box down the street. They’ll read the Sun, which still gets delivered to them, and check the rest out online.

Free Press publisher Bob Cox said “Sunday has always been a money-losing newspaper.” So just put it out of its misery already.

You can view the rest of Cox’s less-than-confident reaction to criticisms here.