I received information recently from a local business owner outraged at recent business decisions from the Daily Times.
It turns out, this company advertises DAILY and has been paying a package price for such classified ads that run every day for a set price for the month.
Out of nowhere recently this business had realized that although they were PAYING for ads to run every day, there simply weren't any classified ads at all on some days so they called the Daily Times and asked what was going on. The Daily Times responded: "THEY ARE NO LONGER RUNNING CLASSIFIED ADS ON MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS!."
Allegedly no one ever called them or sent written communication regarding this change. They were also told that the package price will NOT decrease but since they are not running them 2 days per week, the price will not go up either (like that makes them feel any better).
The Daily Times is clearly in trouble and to see them cut their bread and butter, (the Classified Ads) while still charging the same rates shows yet another few steps removed from their ladder and soon enough they won't be able to go up or down. What's even worse is the fact that while some companies totally depend on the Classified Ads, this will hurt those businesses as well and they'll be looking for another resource to advertise with.
It looks like Salisbury News is getting closer and closer to putting that final nail in their coffin very soon and the One Man Show will have taken down the local Giant. Either that or they will reduce their Staff down to a select few and do what they can to pay their overhead and survive?
I don't care what anyone says, one small Blog has put a serious hurting on Gannett and I think it's time to seal the deal and put them out of their misery.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
8 comments:
When will the Salisbury News be able to start publishing the Obituaries so I won't have to bother checking them out in The Daily Times? I now live out of state and check all news by way of computer. The more news you can offer folks like me, the better.
Joe puts so much of his time into this blog. It's not only time, it's a dedicated love for the area where he lives (Delmar) and owns properties (Salisbury).
Joe, you gave each of us a gift when you started sharing George's historical stories. I can't tell you how much I look forwarded to Saturday mornings now. I grew up here and heard of some of the places he has told us about but didn't know the history of those places.
You've let everyone know when there is trouble in the area. This has helped many people when it comes to having to figure out another way home due to accidents or band robberies. I for one didn't know about the band robbery near the college until I saw it here first. Even after WBOC finally broadcast it they didn't give the details which were posted here.
Many people only go to the Daily Times now for obituaries and coupons. I have found that I can get lots of coupons online. I do still go the DT site for obits. Are any of you aware that if you contact the DT's concerning listing an obit instead of a funeral home that they will charge you for it? I learned this when a great-uncle passed away while being out of town. They even make money from the deceased which is so sad.
Joe, thank you for all the work you have done and for everyone you have brought to this site who contributes. I am proud to be one of your Dirty Million!
KM
PS..DT's your history!
Oh hum. SSDD. Joe, if our daily paper goes down, it will go down in flames with all the other newspapers, and it will be because of the economy, not your silly little free blog.
If you were the businessman you claim to be you would know that the economy drives the newspaper business. When people don't eat out restaurants don't advertise. When people don't travel resort hotels like those in Ocean City don't advertise. When people don't buy cars, auto dealers don't advertise. Name it, and the economy has hit it.
So, pleeeze, enough with trying to claim responsibility for slow advertising at the only newspaper we have. It makes you look stupid.
Anon 10:13 -- An obituary is a news article telling that someone, usually someone well-known, has died.
A death notice is a paid advert of someone's passing, usually submitted by family.
Please note, they are not the same. And furthermore, every newspaper in America does this. To make it seem like some ghoulish endeavor is flatly incorrect.
anonymous 10:41,
I'm glad you asked that question as I, (more than anyone else here on the Eastern Shore) know the answer to that question.
The Printing Industry is the 3rd largest Industry in the World. Do you know why? I'll tell you why. Because you MUST PRINT brochures, ads etc. in order to promote your products and sell them.
Look at newspapers and magazines. There are advertisements everywhere. I owned one of the largest Safelight Manufacturing Companies in the World. I know this Industry like the back of my hand, inside and out. So I, (as well as all of the manufacturers of Film and Printing Plates) consider myself an expert in this field.
So should the Daily Times be failking? Not if they handled their business properly. Many large companies like Gannett thought they could charge, charge, charge each and every customer and they got desperate when the Internet came along. They refused to market a better product on the Internet for FREE and forgot that nothing is forever. Bloggers came along and brought better information in real time while the newspapers continued to fall behind.
The problem they have today is, can they now compete against millions of Bloggers? NO! They made stupid moves like dumping $3.5 million into a new Press locally and this will not cost them, it will cost YOU.
Ultimately, a Blogger can now advertise for far less than the Daily Times, as an example, and deliver far better results. We're new, we're providing more traffic and the only thing left is for companies like Gannett to buy the bigger Bloggers out and stay afloat.
The Printing Industry may have fallen off from being the #3 Industry in the world at this point and time but as I have stated in another Post, a Newspaper will become a luxury item and Blogs will take over that Industry.
You said....
"When people don't eat out restaurants don't advertise. When people don't travel resort hotels like those in Ocean City don't advertise. When people don't buy cars, auto dealers don't advertise."
YOU'RE WRONG! When things slow down, this is when these people advertise the most. Look at your TV ads and even the ads right now in your paper. They're the only ones advertising. Some of the smaller businesses do back down but the big industries adsvertise like there's no tomorrow.
I personally believe I made a great business decision to create a Blog and go up against Gannett. Give it some time and let's see where the two of us stand a year from now.
Anon 10:41
You're wrong. I work for a company who has experienced this same thing. We also called Daily Times and got this same answer!
In this slow economy, we HAVE TO ADVERTISE!
The point is...we are still paying the SAME price but ads are now not running TWO DAYS PER WEEK, still spending the same amount of money and we were never notified!
It is wrong. We are not the only business either. Compare the classifieds in today's paper with those in tomorrow's paper and you'll see why it is hurting businesses!
Thank you for posting this Joe!
Slow economy, dont you mean dead economy.
10:57 "An obituary is a news article telling that someone, usually someone well-known, has died.
A death notice is a paid advert of someone's passing, usually submitted by family"
Are you saying that every single person listed in today's DT is "well-known"? No matter where it comes from Funeral Home, Family or Friend the paper will put it in the Obituary section. There have been several over the past month that were not from Funeral Homes yet they were listed like everyone else.
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