So far, former P-I readers are sticking with the Times, says Seattle Times exec Alan Fisco. What he calls “the incredible success of the transition to one newspaper,” the post-JOA Times has experienced “very little impact” from last month’s closure of the P-I’s print edition. In a memo released to Jim Romenesko’s media blog, Fisco says “only about 2% of 74,000 former P-I subscribers have chosen to cancel their subscriptions since the March 18 transition to one newspaper.” He continues:While we don’t normally report circulation numbers other than those reported via the twice yearly Publisher’s Statement, there is great interest in the success of our conversion efforts. A snapshot of current circulation for the daily Seattle Times is 289,000. Prior to the closure of the P-I, Times daily circulation was 194,000. Our Sunday average has not been impacted by the change.[Overall, combined P-I/Times circulation fell 8 percent, compared to last year.] Single copy sales, he says, are affected most by the change, “as former P-I subscribers who occasionally purchased a Times via single copy now get the Times at home.” Nonetheless, comparing the two-newspaper JOA figures to today’s Times, “we have retained about 95% of our daily circulation…” Of course, P-I subscribers began receiving the Times last month without asking for it. The real test may come in the next few months when subscribers are asked to re-up.
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