The Argus 65p from Monday

[algie]

Bring back that pink paper that is the Sports Argus.

 

[Del Boy]

I'm amazed by some of the 'hate argus' comments on here. Yes it's not the paper it was but it was second to none in our campaign to get a new stadium and has provided alot of good within the community over the years.

 

[pottert]

I pay £5 a month for it to be delivered

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Common view is that local and regional newspapers have been underpriced for many years, which they could sustain while advertising revenue was healthy. Now it's not, they're looking to cover price rises to cover some of the shortfall. Unfortunately, making too much of a hike in one go rarely goes down well with the readers ...

 

[southstandandy]

I'm amazed by some of the 'hate argus' comments on here. Yes it's not the paper it was but it was second to none in our campaign to get a new stadium and has provided alot of good within the community over the years.

I totally agree in their support of the Albion getting the new stadium and am thankful for that but I just feel that the remaining 95% of the paper has so little 'news' worthy articles now that I think even the 'Sun' comes up with one or two more worthwhile stories each day. I get bored reading about somebody taking pot shots at local birds / the latest person to fall off a motorbike on the A23 / Katie Price's latest indescretion / or the other real parochial stories it prints now more than ever in it's existence. Hence now I buy the 'I' as I want to read some proper news.

 

[SeagullSongs]

Brighton-based daily The Argus has become the second Newsquest-owned title to unveil a sharp increase in cover price to cover the cost of lost advertising.

Yesterday HTFP revealed that the weekly Oxford Times is to go up in price from 85p to £1.30 as part of a relaunch to mark its 150th anniversary.

A similar strategy has now been unveiled by Argus editor Michael Beard in an email to staff which has been seen by HoldtheFrontPage.

It is to increase its Monday-Friday cover price from 45p to 65p from Monday, while its Saturday edition will rise from 60p to 85p.

The change will also be accompanied by a raft of changes including up to 50 pages of extra pagination per week.

They include a new 12-page Monday sports supplement, a dedicated charities page, more business pages and a new feature called In Your Street looking in depth at a local community.

Other changes will see two pages of letters three times a week and a new eight-page Youth in Action supplement to be carried on Wednesdays.

The Saturday paper will see a four-page puzzle pull-out as well as an in-depth interview with a prominent figure in the week’s news.

Like the changes being introduced by the Oxford Times, the relaunch follows a series of focus groups or ‘reader panels’ held during the summer.

In his email, Michael said:* “Much has been written and spoken about the decline of local newspapers in terms of circulation. The thing that struck me and the other staff who attended the panels was the loyalty people felt for the paper and also how important it was to their lives.”

He went on:* “Through the week we expect overall pagination to increase by more than 50 pages. It is obvious that this comes at a cost.

“With some advertising sectors suffering in the recession, if we are to maintain our standards for high quality and comprehensive coverage then we must charge a fair price.”

The Argus saw a 10.2pc decline in circulation in the period January to June 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.

According to last week’s ABC figures its average daily sale now stands at 22,399.

I think it's the Argus' own fault for their decline. Who needs to buy the paper when they post every bloody story on their website the night before anyway?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think it's the Argus' own fault for their decline. Who needs to buy the paper when they post every bloody story on their website the night before anyway?

To be fair they attempt to charge for access to the online stuff a few years ago and my understanding is that visitor numbers dropped so drastically that some of their online advertisers started to go elsewhere. It's a double edged sword - if they actually published something worth reading then people would probably be willing to pay for the online version ( like the Times ) but they publish crap so people won't pay for it.

 

[Silent Bob]

In fairness, that is ONLY the same price as a can of Pepsi or a Mars bar...

And like a Pepsi or a Mars bar, there is nothing of value in it.

But at least they taste good.

 

[tubaman]

I bought one today at lunchtime and didn't even notice. Thats the last for me.

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

Bring back that pink paper that is the Sports Argus.

That was a great paper. I wonder why it ceased publication? It only ran for a couple of years I think.
It reminds me of the fantasy footy game and some of the hilarious names for teams. The one that sticks in my mind is Team Name: Fishy Fingers Manager name: Mike Huntsmells

 

[queens park pete]

Underwhelming makeover- but no Albion game to report on this Monday. Will still pick one up at Falmer on Fri- much cheaper than programme. To be fair there is little they can do in the face of internet competition. I would happily buy a weekly digest of local news in print, but there just is not enough happening in Brighton/Sussex to fill a daily paper meaningfully. My wish for the return of the B+H Gazette may yet come true.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

The Argus will move to a weekly model with the website alongside at some point. Some dailies are already doing this. The cost savings vs revenue generated make total sense and will ensure the paper survives. The decline in the paper has been sad, but Brighton still needs the Argus and the Albion coverage is good. 65p does not seem excessive to me if they are putting in more to read.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I'd happily pay double if Owen would promise not to pepper everything he writes with 'admitted'. It's an attempt to give the impression that everything he writes is the product of high journalistic guile and a thumbscrew but actually comes across as a bit pathetic. He once had Gary Hart 'admitting' he was looking forward to a new season!

 

[Poppett63]

I have it delivered at a current price of £6.78 a month. I think it's excellent value and a good read.