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Times Ireland RIP

  • 23-06-2019 12:53pm
    #1
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭


    Closed on Friday. Four years. Haven't looked into why but assume it's a victim of the economics of running a niche but expensive title.


Comments

  • #2
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Harry Palmr wrote: »
    Closed on Friday. Four years. Haven't looked into why but assume it's a victim of the economics of running a niche but expensive title.

    Was it niche? A two page wrap around not available in all shops?

    Any idea of its circulation? Any idea of Irish subs to the Sunday Times?


  • #3
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    Pretty poor start to the new online only version today. Only 8 articles from 3 journalists and no GAA coverage.


  • #4
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    jack presley wrote: »
    Pretty poor start to the new online only version today. Only 8 articles from 3 journalists and no GAA coverage.

    Didn't it start out online originally. I feel the journalists seem to think that it was a long running news paper either online or in print. Very difficult to get something off the ground. While they might argue that people should pay for Journalism to get people talking it needs to be available to them.

    I'd wonder how many Irish Journalist felt when The Times started their Sunday Irish Edition? I mean I like the Irish edition but it is an "opt-out". And even that opt-out took time to build a readership, this is a major media company.


  • #5
    Hurrache
    Registered Users Posts: 10,146 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    jack presley wrote: »
    Pretty poor start to the new online only version today. Only 8 articles from 3 journalists and no GAA coverage.

    I thought it was just an issue with the site not loading correctly. It was the first thing I noticed, severe lack of stories and those that were there, one was pretty much just a story on the weather and another just a follow up on a story from last week.

    As much has I don't want to, I'll be cancelling my subscription if it continues. It's not like there as a whole load of Irish stores in the daily edition anyway.


  • #6
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    Just prior to its launch The Times (UK Edition) had an ABC cert of 2544. Now add 20 staff, editorial, production, rebranding, re-pagination/prepress and a whole heap of marketing spend to launch the Times Ireland edition.

    Their last circulation for May 2019 was 3077 and increase 533 copies. That’s economics there.

    I suspect that they will revert to the pre June 2017 setup of shipping in the unvarnished edition of the UK edition without any alterations for the Irish market. Even at a circulation of about 2500 Its worth a few million to News UK every year


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  • #7
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    IRE60 wrote: »
    Just prior to its launch The Times (UK Edition) had an ABC cert of 2544. Now add 20 staff, editorial, production, rebranding, re-pagination/prepress and a whole heap of marketing spend to launch the Times Ireland edition.

    Their last circulation for May 2019 was 3077 and increase 533 copies. That’s economics there.

    I suspect that they will revert to the pre June 2017 setup of shipping in the unvarnished edition of the UK edition without any alterations for the Irish market. Even at a circulation of about 2500 Its worth a few million to News UK every year

    Is that 3077 copies a day?


  • #8
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    Yea - all the numbers are per day - the average circualtion of the paper over 6 days for the Times Irish Edition.


    (As an aside Average for the Week M-F is 2996 per day and 3906 on Saturday)


  • #9
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    IRE60 wrote: »
    Yea - all the numbers are per day - the average circualtion of the paper over 6 days for the Times Irish Edition.


    (As an aside Average for the Week M-F is 2996 per day and 3906 on Saturday)

    So as you say around 1m to The Sunday Times.

    No effort really to increase news coverage, not in every shop, difficult to get, viewed as a British paper, last time I bought it it seemed just like a 4 to 8 page wrap around.

    I honestly don't think the public can be blamed because we aren't "paying for newspapers".

    Sorry for the Irish based journalist involved, but I don't think they can blame the internet on this.


  • #10
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    I presume because there only seems to be 3 journalists at the Irish section now, they'll be going full Journal and just cut and pasting from other outlets and not doing any real reporting. All the good stuff will be kept for the Sunday edition.


  • #11
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    Harry Palmr wrote:
    Closed on Friday. Four years. Haven't looked into why but assume it's a victim of the economics of running a niche but expensive title.

    The Times Irish edition? Closed? I saw it on sale yesterday.


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  • #12
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    bobbyss wrote: »
    The Times Irish edition? Closed? I saw it on sale yesterday.

    UK version is still sold here


  • #13
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    L1011 wrote:
    UK version is still sold here


    I see. Thanks. It is a paper I usually get. I remember when it as 90 cents. Now 2 euro. Reaching the stage where I'm at a tipping point of not getting it so regularly. I have the Guardian, Irish Independent and Daily Mail as free apps and as such the reason to shelve 2 euro is less and less valid. Maybe I would buy the Irish Times on a sat as a treat.
    To be honest I really don't mind if the Irish edition has gone. It's still a quality paper. Only hope there's no more price increases.


  • #14
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    The Times today has ad for €5 a month for digital subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times Ireland.

    So is there an Irish edition digitally but not hard copy?


  • #15
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    bobbyss wrote: »
    The Times today has ad for €5 a month for digital subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times Ireland.

    So is there an Irish edition digitally but not hard copy?

    There is an ‘Ireland’ section within the digital version that Monday to Saturday has around 5-6 stories. There used to be a lot more when the physical edition was sold but they’re down to 2-3 journalists now so the section has been scaled back considerably


  • #16
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    jack presley wrote:
    There is an ‘Ireland’ section within the digital version that Monday to Saturday has around 5-6 stories. There used to be a lot more when the physical edition was sold but they’re down to 2-3 journalists now so the section has been scaled back considerably


    I see thanks. Even the English edition for 5 Euro a month is great value. What is the Irish Times? 16 Euro a month?


  • #17
    LuasSimon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,208 ✭✭✭LuasSimon


    bobbyss wrote: »
    I see thanks. Even the English edition for 5 Euro a month is great value. What is the Irish Times? 16 Euro a month?

    Was thinking the same myself ... the English times has excellent articles on world news and U.K. news . Is that an offer a fiver a month ?


  • #18
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    bobbyss wrote: »
    I see thanks. Even the English edition for 5 Euro a month is great value. What is the Irish Times? 16 Euro a month?

    Yeah it is great value. It's worth it for the Sunday version alone where there is are significant Ireland and Ireland Sports sections.

    Irish Times is €12 a month for digital version or €16 if you want the digital copy of the paper.


  • #19
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    LuasSimon wrote: »
    Was thinking the same myself ... the English times has excellent articles on world news and U.K. news . Is that an offer a fiver a month ?

    I don't think it's an offer, I think it's a fiver and that's it.


  • #20
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    jack presley wrote:
    Yeah it is great value. It's worth it for the Sunday version alone where there is are significant Ireland and Ireland Sports sections.

    jack presley wrote:
    Irish Times is €12 a month for digital version or €16 if you want the digital copy of the paper.

    Excuse my igronance. What's the difference between a digital version and a digital copy?


  • #21
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Excuse my igronance. What's the difference between a digital version and a digital copy?

    Sorry badly worded. The €12 gives you access to the website which has all the newspaper content but in website format whereas the €16 version gives you the pdf of the actual newspaper, although it's interactive so you can read the stories in web mode too.


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