The decline continues

JTMan

IRE60 wrote: »

On IN&M: Personally I think the potential sale of the titles owned by Northern Shell to Trinity may well spell the end of the ownership of the Daily Star by IN&M. The Overlords on Talbot St are delusional of they think The Herald can fill that gap should the DS fold. Their delusions are not limited to that topic I hasten to add.

Independent Star is still profitable. INM get some nice money from Independent Star for publishing (several million) and via dividends. Independent Star supplies content for The Herald and Sunday World. INM gives money to Independent Star. Indepenent Star gives money to INM. They are married at the hips. Nobody wins if Indepenent Star fails. Not yet anyway.

It's possible that The Irish Daily Star, The Herald and the Sunday World could all simultaneously go as part of a INM 'focus on core titles' restructure. I think it still could be 3 years away from happening.

IRE60 wrote: »

The SPB is a profitable enterprise – circulation is small, but so are the overheads.

The big question is who will buy the SBP which is up for sale and the SBP is subject to the same headwinds as the newspaper industry as a whole.

IRE60 wrote: »

Another thing: If the main national titles didn’t exist – then neither would the journal.ie. I can’t remember when the journal ever ‘’broke a story’. If anyone can – please speak up.

Absolutely. Very little original content is generated by Journal.ie. Not none but very little. In some senses, the small players need the big players for content.

L1011

SBP has the albatross of the printing plant, does it not?

Its profitable due to a VERY specific audience to advertise to* - I suspect I'm the poorest person to buy it weekly :pac: and it has probably the least terrible trend in readership of the lot of them. But even that can't last forever.

*AB, not even C1; and domestic tech industry.

JTMan

SBP reports that INM is going to introduce a paywall for certain content. Difficult see more than a handful of people paying for Indo content online.

Skedaddle

The problem with a paywall is unless you're a highly specialised publication like the Financial Times, people will just Google for the story from another source.

Also these things usually require setting up accounts and entering payment details. That almost invariably results in casual readers just wandering off.

It won't work and it will likely drive traffic elsewhere eg The Journal, into social media and even the likes of RTE.ie

expectationlost

following the telegraphs example... https://www.businesspost.ie/news/inm-looks-introducing-paywall-410158 they have a datawall on their opinion columns I'd be happy to see those trolls behind a paywall

IRE60

JTMan wrote: »

Absolutely. Very little original content is generated by Journal.ie. Not none but very little. In some senses, the small players need the big players for content.

I see Susan throwing the toys over the lack of air time:
Check out @BiddyEarly’;s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BiddyEarly/status/969847279011147776?s=09

What it says in the what.....

CeilingFly

IRE60 wrote: »

I see Susan throwing the toys over the lack of air time:
Check out @BiddyEarly’;s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BiddyEarly/status/969847279011147776?s=09

What it says in the what.....

Since when is "Thejournal" a news source?

A tittle tattle source, yes, a sensationalist hyteria source, yes, but "News", absolutely not.

expectationlost

IRE60 wrote: »

I see Susan throwing the toys over the lack of air time:
Check out @BiddyEarly’;s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BiddyEarly/status/969847279011147776?s=09

What it says in the what.....

the Times Ireland had the same complaint and I think RTE MI only started covering it when it started printing an Irish edition, its is literally called what it says in the papers...

JTMan

The INM results are out:
- 32% decline in profits.
- Pitt given a whopping 1.5 million payoff.
- Staff down from 876 to 800.
- Digital revenue flat.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/inm-explores-digital-subscriptions-as-profits-plunge-32-1.3420883

- As I expected, as long as blood can be got from the 3 tabloids the show will continue ...

But INM, which also owns the Sunday World, the Herald and 50 per cent of the Irish Daily Star as well as several regional titles, “believes in print”, Mr Doorly said. “All our titles make a contribution, so we’re not planning the closure of any titles.”

expectationlost

decline ? News Ireland goes with new-look Times http://marketing.ie/news-ireland-goes-with-new-look-times/ any time I bought the paper Im amazed at the amount of English content, at times it felt like that was very little Irish content, maybe thats changed now, but adding more opinion columns isn't the way to impress me.

CeilingFly

Love this
https://www.independent.ie/business/correction-and-apology-36718056.html

Indo can't get basic facts right. If it was a normal citizen, they'd probably ignore any appeal to correct the issue as it would mean a sensationalist headline being accepted as wrong.

Problem is this was in relation to Johnny Ronan who plays hard, but always plays fair.

And he has the wherewithal to challenge a hysterical sensationalist rag and get them to jump to his demands.

I reckon it has / will cost a few bob.

IRE60

I always suspected this would not go away - so here we go!

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/odce-to-ask-high-court-to-appoint-inspectors-to-inm-1.3439528


And the article in the Indo today on lobbyists (aka Red Flag) describing Dobby as 'media and telecoms tycoon Denis O'Brien' - seriously!

Balance - the Indos article:

https://www.independent.ie/business/media/odce-seeks-inspectors-to-look-into-claims-at-inm-36741049.html

IRE60

I thought is was funny/ironic.

I got and email notification that Accountancy Ireland are leaving the ABC Circulation audit process!

Eveyone is jumping out of it!

IRE60

IRE60 wrote: »

I always suspected this would not go away - so here we go!

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/odce-to-ask-high-court-to-appoint-inspectors-to-inm-1.3439528


And the article in the Indo today on lobbyists (aka Red Flag) describing Dobby as 'media and telecoms tycoon Denis O'Brien' - seriously!

Balance - the Indos article:

https://www.independent.ie/business/media/odce-seeks-inspectors-to-look-into-claims-at-inm-36741049.html

And it didn't go away - It snowballed - Jesus that went south quick!

If you want a snapshot of the whats happening have a look at the #inm19 hastag on twitter. The great and the good are chiming in.

Bizarrely for the third day in a row SOR is not covering it - not a word.
It's embarrassing when some parts of the media sh1t down the side of their legs at the mere mention of some individuals. So much for the 'forth estate' (as quoted for the Press Ombudsman this morning on Morning Ireland - who decided to cover it).

Lease some still step up and point the finger.

There's a suggestion that it could be one of the biggest data breeches thus far in this country. Given one of the '19' had circa 40,000 emails interrogated that might be true.

expectationlost

CeilingFly wrote: »

Love this
https://www.independent.ie/business/correction-and-apology-36718056.html

Indo can't get basic facts right. If it was a normal citizen, they'd probably ignore any appeal to correct the issue as it would mean a sensationalist headline being accepted as wrong.

Problem is this was in relation to Johnny Ronan who plays hard, but always plays fair.

And he has the wherewithal to challenge a hysterical sensationalist rag and get them to jump to his demands.

I reckon it has / will cost a few bob.

can't find original article

IRE60

The April ABC were released yesterday and there was an interesting turn of events. The Sunday Times dropped 4,000 over the previous month. It’s nothing to do with tinkering with bulks etc.

In April the Sunday Business Post had Sunday after Sunday at least two pages dedicated to the data story in INM. I make the leap that much of the 4,000 went to the SBP.

Just shows that while there is a decline in newspaper circulation, when there’s a decent story people will revert to type (literally).

Loafing Oaf

IRE60 wrote: »

The April ABC were released yesterday and there was an interesting turn of events. The Sunday Times dropped 4,000 over the previous month. It’s nothing to do with tinkering with bulks etc.

In April the Sunday Business Post had Sunday after Sunday at least two pages dedicated to the data story in INM. I make the leap that much of the 4,000 went to the SBP.

Just shows that while there is a decline in newspaper circulation, when there’s a decent story people will revert to type (literally).

Oirish Daily Mail and MoS falling 20% in the past year is the figure that jumps out at me.

IRE60

I know the headline figure looks bleak - but its actually down to a change of policy here by the Daily Mail.
Last year the Daily and Sunday used the option to include 'bulks' in the circulation numbers - perfectly legit and all declared in their certificates each month.
As of January 2018 they stopped giving away free papers (aka the bulks) and therefore their circulation number has 'declined' as they are no longer included.

So, the year on year is a little 'off' as its comparing apples with apples with a few oranges thrown in!
My own analysis compares topline with topline and I did allude to it in the first three months to highlight that.
C

L1011

The Sun appears to have increased bulks hugely from what I see lying around the place - is this reflected in the figures or have they just move stock around?

Worked somewhere that got 5 copies of the Mail FOC every day. One was read (consistently was read, by one person though). Suspect the JNRS still estimated whatever multiplier they apply to bulks for each one...

CeilingFly

L1011 wrote: »

Worked somewhere that got 5 copies of the Mail FOC every day. One was read (consistently was read, by one person though). Suspect the JNRS still estimated whatever multiplier they apply to bulks for each one...

Quite laughable that "readership" is about 4 times circulation.

Does anyone believe that on average FOUR adults read each newspaper sold???

bogmanfan

CeilingFly wrote: »

Quite laughable that "readership" is about 4 times circulation.

Does anyone believe that on average FOUR adults read each newspaper sold???

More laughable again is the way that readership figures often climb even as circulation decreases! So those that are still buying papers must be sharing them with their family, colleagues, neighbours... It's incredible how JNRS continues to exist. Surely even the advertisers must know the figures are nonsense

IRE60

The last JNRS was last released in 2014/15 and I get the impression that that will be the last one! I think that metric is a busted flush.

The sun has about 2,500 bulks ever month - on a total circulation of circa 57,000

IRE60

Sunday Business Post publisher posts €520k pre-tax loss



https://www.independent.ie/business/media/sunday-business-post-publisher-posts-520k-pretax-loss-36953971.html


The article is light on detail - bar the 'shock' headline - probably motivated by the pasting the SBP gave IN&M over the data stories!


Still it's a fair chunk of change

IRE60

The Irish Times finally given the nod to buy the Examiner et al


https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/irish-times-cleared-to-buy-irish-examiner-1.3531759

IRE60

Interesting - the CCPC are going top phase two investigation of Trinity's proposed takeover of the Daily Star et al.


https://www.ccpc.ie/business/ccpc-carry-phase-2-investigation-trinity-mirror-media-merger/


They are looking into the Irish Daily Star side only naturally. If they were to rule against the merger then there would be a whole heap of problems. Northern Shell would have to find a buyer for their 50% in I.S.L. - any takers?!

JTMan

Very interesting.

The UK acquisition has got the green light. So I guess that the Irish Daily Star is the only remaining asset of NS.

I would guess that the CPCC will approve but if they don't hard to see how INM would want the liability attached to owning 100% of Independent Star. I would guess that Independent Star would close if the CPCC did not approve.

L1011

First major Irish magazines moving to digital only due to circulation pressure that I'm aware of - U and Tatler Man. Lots of more niche publications, particularly industry specific ones, have folded due to the internet destroying their reason to exist but not sure of anything of this scale?

JTMan

UK digital magazine subs are rather low. I would guess that Irish magazine digital paid subs are closed to zero.

Meanwhile, the Irish Times acquisition of Landmark Media (Examiner etc) is complete. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/irish-times-complete-purchase-of-landmark-media-pledge-to-protect-identity-and-independence-of-titles-854228.html

jmcc

L1011 wrote: »

First major Irish magazines moving to digital only due to circulation pressure that I'm aware of - U and Tatler Man. Lots of more niche publications, particularly industry specific ones, have folded due to the internet destroying their reason to exist but not sure of anything of this scale?

It is the old joke about making a small fortune in magazine publishing. (Start with a large one.). Magazine publishing in Ireland is very competitve as Irish magazines also compete with the Sundays, the lifestyle sections of various newspapers, and the UK magazines. The online market is probably more competitive for some of the magazines as it is very much multimedia rather than simple text and images.

Regards...jmcc

IRE60

Interesting one here - and thought provoking. Article in the IT on the Examiners' holding company
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/irish-examiner-holding-company-reports-turnover-decline-1.3569231

The thing that got me was 414 people employed - the majority in production and no print plant. They must (I assume) do the pre-press for the regionals in their stable.

The 'economies of scale' (in a rapidly declining market, it would have to be said) the the Times bring to the table are not obvious, bar the print plant.

I heard a fella saying recently 'culture beats strategy every day' - Culturally its a step into the unknown for the Times - and the examiner. I think this is a marriage of convenience.