Daily Post and North Wales Weekly News

[Michael]

   Who?  Fester or the slapper?

[Merddin Emrys]

 

[Fester]

I see that the NWWN has reported that it was a bum Easter for businesses in Llandudno.

It must be true, because everything that you read in the paper is true isn't it?

However, I know of know one who had a successful Easter trading period.
In fact everyone I know describes the last ten days or so as ranging from 'disappointing' to 'disastrous'

One trader who was contacted by the NWWN for feedback, mistakenly saw this as an opportunity to 'bull up'' his own business. I think he may have shot himself in the foot, as the real story is far from successful.

[Nemesis]

Fester--re the article in the NWWN. If you read the adverts in the papers you will see how much hotels who rely on coaching are charging per holiday ,which includes usually 1/2 board, trips and entertainment.
This is probably why alot of hotels are busy, whilst others aren't. People tend to pick something which is what we call' VFM' ( value for money).

[Michael]

  Don't forget that the hotels and the coach companies are often, with the really big ones, always one and the same people. Maybe a different company name, but dig down and you will find they are the same. I am sure you don't need examples, but LLandudnos front has a few.
  Even if the coach is an outsider contracted in, it still doesn't mean that there is not a financial connection.
  Going back to my coach driving days I always remember a passenger, a professional complainer, writing a very long letter of complaint about everything on her holiday, purchased from Alfa. I was driving an outside coach companies vehicle. She gave it everything, about me, the coach, this that and the other.Then she went on about the hotel, the food, the service etc. Owned by LeisureplexLtd.
  Unfortunately for her she had'nt realised (how could she) that Alpha and Leisureplex were to all intents and purposes one and the same.  Mike

[Nemesis]

Exactly Mike, quite alot of the seafront hotels are owned and operated by the big companies. Some have their owned named coaches, others don't. Knowing how much some of the hotels are allocated per person for food, heating and wages etc It must be like juggling jelly !

[DaveR]

Margins must be wafer thin for some of these hotels that specialise in coach trips. Little surprise there's not much money available for reinvestment.

In other news, the Belle Vue Hotel has been sold and is reopening shortly.

[Nemesis]

Good news about the Belle Vue.

This is just what I mean Dave, margins were thin enough in the past and the cost of food has risen so much it must be a constant battle to provide acceptable meals in today's current climate

[Blongb]

In other news, the Belle Vue Hotel has been sold and is reopening shortly.

The Belle View has not been sold Dave, it's being run by a tenant. I wish him luck but shan't be holding my breath.

[DaveR]

In what seems a rather ominous move, the NWWN website has disappeared and all visitors are being redirected to the Daily Post website:
www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk

Some tweets from NWWN in response to questions:

The old Weekly News site has been swallowed up by Daily Post's altho WN stories will still populate DP site

The Weekly News is going nowhere as far as I know but truth is we're struggling terribly. Thanx for support

 

[Linda]

I sincerely hope the North Wales Weekly News remains safe and sound in North Wales. Its a life line to so many. Always liked the paper for local stuff for sale Houses,cars etc and news. Love it with my Thursday morning coffee if I get time.

[Fester]

The NWWN is about as safe as Hoosons, Fat Cat........... and The Pier!

Do not underestimate the economic meltdown the UK is now facing.

[Ian]

I'm not sure this has much to do with the current economic situation. The Newspaper industry has been struggling for years, and much longer than our current economic woes. They don't help, of course, but in reality news has never been more available for free and it's proved difficult for the industry to respond to that, although the first paywall was introduced in 1997. The Times charges for online access, and that may spread; many charge for iPad access already, and the big news media are watching the Times' model to see how it fares.

In the USA they've been studying, closely, the effectiveness of online subscription models and it seems that for the bigger companies, anyway, a mixed print and digital offering may be a way forward, with moderate to significant growth being seen for businesses that are trying it.

The biggest problem appears to be online advertising. Once viewed as the holy grail of a 'free' internet the online market seems to have become saturated, possibly because so many companies have been using its revenue as a business model. More worryingly, however, it's estimated that 90% of the advertising revenue in print is in the hands of the nationals, which leaves comparatively little for the regional media. Both the Sun and the Telegraph plan to introduce hard paywalls for their online content but even the Times - one of the earlier adopters - has failed to prove conclusively the case for charging. Regional newspapers, such as the NWWN, are in an even more parlous state.  Their circulation has been falling for years, as has that of the Daily Post, but I think it will be a shame if they both go under.

I don't think there are any quick fixes, either, otherwise they'd probably have been tried, although the possibility of forming charitable trusts to run them in similar ways to the Guardian and Observer might be viable. But any charity would have to be able to find the funds to buy them in the first instance.

[DaveR]

Unfortunately, the Guardian's model isn't really viable either, with a £44m loss last year and a 10% decline in sales. Curiously, the 20p 'i' newspaper reported a 10% increase in sales over the same period, maybe all the Guardian readers defected to the cheaper paper?   :twoface:

I feel the 'i' model is the one to follow for the NWWN. Drop the price to 20p, boost the content and go all out for circulation in order to make advertising in it essential for any local business. The website should provide teaser content (only first paragraph of each story), with the user having to pay to read full stories either online or in print form.

After all, what's the alternative...a steady decline towards closure?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/12/independent-i-sales

[Michael]

   I love the Post and NWWN so it pains me to write this. However I'm going to carry on.

  Before I mention the price of these two papers, which have had practically weekly increases recently, I have considered differing labour costs, distribution costs, lack of broadband, exchange rates etc etc.

  But ----- Post 55p NWWN 85p

  I have recently been in Goa. Daily papers, every day available everywhere from around 7 a.m., at least three printed in English and more in Hindu, size around halfway between todays red tops and the traditional size, does the Guardian still come in that size? Around 16-20 pages, 2 pages small adds which cost literally peanuts, and a fair amount of advertising, but no more than in Post and NWWN. The British news is slightly delayed, football for example, evening before matches won't make it but a midday kick off will be reported next day.
  Cost 2 or 3 rupees. A rupee is worth slightly more than a penny. So, thats right, 3 pence a copy.
 
  I know the general cost of living in Goa is around a quarter of here, but even so, the difference between 3p and 55p is staggering. Surely one or the other must be wrong.