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  • #91
    Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

    Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
    (Methinks that is his point - the "sarcasm" font didn't come through.)
    We really need a sarcasm font or else everything get's taken literally.

    I actually get local content via the AP Service thru my BlackBerry app.
    Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

    Comment


    • #92
      Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

      Originally posted by DXer View Post
      So does that mean, in the event of a natural diaster, if we didn't pay or $9.95, on Oahu, we wouldn't know if a tsunami is coming our way, until the next day's paper? Which would probably be a little late and not so much "Breaking News" anymore.

      DXer
      It's been well publicized that breaking news will still be free. So in the event of a natural disaster like a tsunami, the site will be updated constantly with breaking news. And with an event that large, the site will likely be temporarily reconfigured to highlight the event.
      ---
      Gene

      "A man can surely do what he wills to do, but cannot determine what he wills." - Schopenhauer

      Comment


      • #93
        Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

        Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
        If the local TV news depts. keep their text articles and video content free, then no way will S-A text articles be able to compete.
        I was going to say there's no way this is a good prediction, but I fear you may be right. It will never, ever be enough for me because I value more than the leading stories. As a sports fan, I want to see box scores and read articles about important local sporting events, the kind of thing television news programs don't provide. As a consumer of political (and cultural) punditry, I want to read columns in the op-ed. As a patron of the arts, I want to read about local dramatic productions, local musical performances, and local art exhibits. The television news just doesn't cover this kind of stuff, even minimally, and I want it.

        Heck. Until Erika started writing the business column, I very seldom read a word of the business section. Now I at least take a look at what she's got to say. I watch two local news broadcasts every day (KGMB and KITV) and generally enjoy them, but they're not enough for me.

        I get the feeling I'm in the minority and that you're right. But my goodness, I hope you're wrong.
        But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
        GrouchyTeacher.com

        Comment


        • #94
          Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

          Originally posted by scrivener View Post
          I was going to say there's no way this is a good prediction, but I fear you may be right. It will never, ever be enough for me because I value more than the leading stories. As a sports fan, I want to see box scores and read articles about important local sporting events, the kind of thing television news programs don't provide. As a consumer of political (and cultural) punditry, I want to read columns in the op-ed. As a patron of the arts, I want to read about local dramatic productions, local musical performances, and local art exhibits. The television news just doesn't cover this kind of stuff, even minimally, and I want it.
          Most people who are like you (i.e. those desiring in-depth news coverage, analysis, and content not typically found on TV news) probably already subscribe to the print edition of the S-A. So I'm not holding my breath, anticipating a sudden surge in new subscriber sign-ups for either the print/digital or the digital-only packages, come Aug 3rd.

          I mean, how many hardcore local news junkies on Oahu don't already have print subscriptions? Maybe those who make it a habit to obtain their copies at some restaurant or from their favorite hawker on the street. Perhaps those people might be prime candidates to be new subscribers. OTOH, folks who work in offices where access to print copies are readily available to anyone w/o charge,.... that's going to be a tougher sell. (Yours truly falls into this latter category.)

          I guess the basic problem with the S-A's new business model is,.... I don't see a bunch of hardcore news junkies in Honolulu suddenly appearing out of nowhere, ready to provide credit-card info on 8/3.

          Originally posted by scrivener View Post
          Heck. Until Erika started writing the business column, I very seldom read a word of the business section. Now I at least take a look at what she's got to say. I watch two local news broadcasts every day (KGMB and KITV) and generally enjoy them, but they're not enough for me.

          I get the feeling I'm in the minority and that you're right. But my goodness, I hope you're wrong.
          There are three realities that are working against the S-A's plan.

          1) The news junkies that I spent considerable time talking about above,.... those folks are in the minority. The majority just want the basic gist of the stories. And if the TV stations provide that info for free, that is what this majority will flock to and be satisfied with.

          2) Why do people buy things like smartphones and tablets? Just to read static text? C'mon! The typical consumers for these items are hungry for video and any other multimedia offerings. Once again, the TV stations offer this stuff and they do it for FREE. Once they have gotten their fix for the news on the TV websites, will they be willing to *pay* for access to the newspaper's site, which features mostly text articles and static pics?

          3) The S-A had better hope that there's a large enough market out there for its local news content. If they think that they're going to attract new digital subscribers for their national/international news coverage,......... HA!!! Why would I pay the S-A as much as one red cent for that when CNN and HLN provides both live streaming feeds and on-demand news stories on my iPhone for FREE???

          For the sake of everyone whose livelihood depends on the S-A's wellbeing, I hope that the foundation for their new business model was based on more than just a simple desire to imitate the New York Times. Because, simply put, the S-A ain't the NYT. (No offense meant to the S-A employees who frequent this forum. I'm just stating the practical realities of the situation.)
          This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

          Comment


          • #95
            Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

            The business model is pretty simple — the newsroom simply cannot afford to provide professional content for free. When newspapers could support themselves through advertising, the online stuff was considered a promotional tool. If you look back on the early versions of the newspaper web site, the content was relatively limited.

            But times change.

            It not so much that newspapers are failing. Print advertising is evaporating and dragging newspapers away with it. (I often wonder how local businesses let consumers know what's on sale or what's new. Advertising is a form of consumer news.)

            Local newspapers are still the primary providers of community information, and real journalism requires editing and vetting. Blogs and single-issue Web sites don't do that.

            Television news is essentially a headline service, which is not a criticism. It's just a different medium.
            Burl Burlingame
            "Art is never finished, only abandoned." -- Leonardo Da Vinci
            honoluluagonizer.com

            Comment


            • #96
              Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

              And no, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is not the New York Times.

              More to the point, the New York Times is not the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

              I wonder how many people upset with paying a few bucks for local news coverage pay their Oceanic Cable bills without thinking about it.
              Burl Burlingame
              "Art is never finished, only abandoned." -- Leonardo Da Vinci
              honoluluagonizer.com

              Comment


              • #97
                Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                Originally posted by buzz1941 View Post
                And no, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is not the New York Times.

                More to the point, the New York Times is not the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
                True. But what is this "more to the point" in your second statement referring to? That the S-A contains more in-depth coverage of what is happening in the 50th state than the NYT? Well,.... I would hope that would be the case! It would certainly be a sad state of affairs for it to be otherwise, wouldn't it?

                But when I stated that the "S-A ain't the NYT," I wasn't just referring to the fact that the Times merely offered more comprehensive news coverage of what was going on in the Empire State. That goes without saying.

                I'm talking about a news-gathering organization that, accoriding to Wikipedia, has 11 domestic bureaus outside of NY state, as well as 26 foreign bureaus spread throughout the globe. I'm talking about a newspaper that has been the recipient of 106 Pulitzer Prizes.

                Now with those kinds of resources and critical recognition at its disposal, the NYT is in a strong position to set aside much of its website for premium viewing. Can you honestly say that the S-A's news reporting and reputation even begins to approach the NYT's calibre of journalism excellence and breadth of unique content?

                But who knows? Maybe I'm wrong, the S-A's digital subscription package will be a smashing success, and you'll have the last laugh on this. Only time will tell.
                This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                Comment


                • #98
                  Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                  Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
                  I mean, how many hardcore local news junkies on Oahu don't already have print subscriptions?
                  I've been a subscriber off and on, depending on the practicalities of subscribing. I'm almost always out the door before six in the morning and often don't get home until after dark. I try to squeeze in my news-reading when I can, which usually means online. On days when I know I will be able to sit down and actually read a paper (and do the NYT crossword), I pick it up at the local convenience store.

                  I can't be the only one for whom an electronic subscription (if delivered in a timely fashion and in a readable format) sent to my phone is a good fit.
                  But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                  GrouchyTeacher.com

                  Comment


                  • #99
                    Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                    Okay, NOW I've got something to complain about, and as soon as I figure out whom to send my complaint to, I will fire off a little email.

                    I really want the $50 per year subscription, but since I'm not sure how well this digital-only subscription will fit into my lifestyle (and because I just haven't seen how good it is yet), I went with the $10 per month option, thinking I'd try to upgrade to the annual subscription if it worked out well after the first month or two.

                    Plus, I wasn't exaggerating when I said that my budget is tight. I just can't afford the fifty bucks right now and probably won't be able to afford it until September.

                    As with most monthly online services, my credit card is going to be billed automatically until I cancel my subscription. That's fine; I was ready for that.

                    What I wasn't ready for was this: it's going to auto-renew my monthly subscription on August 10! This means I'll have nine days to decide whether or not I want to continue for another month, and if I do continue, I'll pay for September's news THREE FREAKING WEEKS IN ADVANCE. And because the budget is so tight, even if I do want to renew, I might have to cancel anyway and then re-subscribe a week later after I get paid.

                    I guess I shouldn't blame the paper for my own dire financial straits, but I posted that last message about practicalities before I tried to subscribe. Now the practicalities suggest that maybe I'm just not the intended market. Right now, the thought of paying ten bucks to renew a service I'll have only experienced for nine days—and for a continuation that doesn't begin for another three weeks—is a lot more painful than perhaps it should be.
                    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                    GrouchyTeacher.com

                    Comment


                    • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                      A few more thoughts on this subject. Just my opinion, after reading some of the posts.

                      1. I don't buy the paper version (subscription or news-stand) and never have for years because all that paper is a chore to clean up and get rid of after they pile up in the house or office.

                      2. In our condo, we used to get the old Star Bulletin for free, which was a nice thing to pick up especially on Sundays. However many times I found that I never had time to go through the paper, and often it sat unread and added to the stuff I had to toss out.

                      3. I've noticed a few times that someone has left a small stack of Star Advertisers in our downstairs lobby to pick up for free on Sundays again. Often I am not early enough to get em.

                      4. For a very long time I've relied mainly on the online website to get my news content. I guess that will drastically change when things like Erika Engle's column, Richard Borreca's political piece gets hidden behind the PAYWALL. Oh well, end of linking also to Erika's column on radio stations and stuff.

                      5. I wonder if we have a big earthquake or some other kind of huge natural disaster if the Star Advertiser will take down their PAYWALL and offer the news as a "public service". If not, well, we get live streams from TV and other "sources". Plenty of free sources of reports to be had from around the internet. Many more timely than the newspaper, even the online stuff. I have the Star Advertiser app in my iPod Touch, and that doesn't get updated as frequently as the apps I have from KITV and KGMB/KHNL Hawaii News Now.

                      6. I get national and world notifications from other apps and sites for free such as Fox News and BBC.

                      7. If there are national in-depth news stories, many of the same news stories can be found elsewhere for free. After all AP, NYT, Christian Science Monitor and other news services syndicate these stories to other sites.

                      8. I think if you have to do a PAYWALL, keep the website FREE, reduce the content and do PAYWALL only with iPad, iPod and Android subscriptions (re: the entire paper through those services). Apple's iPad has surely taken off and offers a great platform to handle that kind of virtual print version of the newspaper.

                      9. Currently I have no iPad so I won't be subscribing anytime soon. The iPod Touch (and its more popular cousin the iPhone) is too small for me to read text for long sustained periods of time. Those devices are ideal for "at-a-glance" breaking news headlines and streaming audio or video content. A regular computer is better for all electronic content.

                      10. BTW, I got rid of my Oceanic Cable service in February after my TV broke and the price for standard analog cable went up. Then I found out they are taking away some analog TV channels and still charging the same price. Sorry, when I get a new TV I'm going OTA only. Currently I watch whatever TV content I can find online for free... + DVDs I own or borrow with my computer. Since prices have been steadily climbing over the years (thanks to more increased taxes and crap) I have been steadily cutting back on some services and not buying at all into others (like cell phones).

                      11. During the March 10 - 11 Japan earthquake, all of my breaking and streaming news came from Hawaii News Now online and some Japanese TV stations that were sending out live video and audio online in real time. The paper doesn't have that kind of resources to do that. Surely the argument will be the "local angle" that news reporting brings on such an event through after the fact reporting.... well we can get a lot of that from our Facebook friends, blogs and even Twitter feeds.. and most of these, especially Facebook will be accounts from people we know.

                      Anyway this is about the only type of 2¢ I am offering because I am committed to not buying any subscription at this time to the Star Advertiser PAYWALL content.

                      next....
                      I'm still here. Are you?

                      Comment


                      • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                        Originally posted by buzz1941 View Post
                        I wonder how many people upset with paying a few bucks for local news coverage pay their Oceanic Cable bills without thinking about it.
                        From what I have been reading here the issue is not paying for the service but rather the closer you are to Oahu, the more you pay for the online version of the service.

                        With the printed version it is the other way around, the farther you are from Oahu the more you pay for the product.

                        For example a daily single issue price of the Star Advertiser is 75 cents on Oahu but you pay $1 for the same issue on the other islands.

                        Comment


                        • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                          For people relying on getting their local tv news, changes could be in order if Congress gets their way:

                          http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoo...se.asp?id=2579
                          http://www.thefutureoftv.org/

                          Comment


                          • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                            Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                            I can't be the only one for whom an electronic subscription (if delivered in a timely fashion and in a readable format) sent to my phone is a good fit.
                            In your situation, a digital-only subscription makes perfect sense.

                            Originally posted by mel View Post
                            9. Currently I have no iPad so I won't be subscribing anytime soon. The iPod Touch (and its more popular cousin the iPhone) is too small for me to read text for long sustained periods of time. Those devices are ideal for "at-a-glance" breaking news headlines and streaming audio or video content. A regular computer is better for all electronic content.
                            Well, if one had to choose between the iPad vs. the iPhone for reading the newspaper, watching streaming videos, or virtually any kind of web surfing, the bigger-screened iPad would naturally win out,... if everything else is equal. But the reality of the situation is that everything isn't equal between these two devices, as far as data plans go. Count me in as one of those people who is grandfathered into Verizon's $30/month unlimited plan for the iPhone. For the same amount of money, I would be limited to 3GB a month on the iPad. With all the music and video that I stream, I would blow through that limit in less than a week, easy!

                            Restricting my usage of mobile devices to times when I'm in a wi-fi hotspot is no good for me. When I need access to e-mail, news, or weather reports, I want it right away. I don't have time to go hunting for and then, hanging around in a hotspot when I'm traveling.
                            This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                            Comment


                            • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                              1. Most of the time I am near a hotspot that allows me to use my iPod Touch's wifi.

                              2. Wifi = free | 3G/4G = pay, and yes, bandwidth caps suck.

                              3. I have signed up with opposing the FCC's take away of channels from OTA broadcasters. http://www.thefutureoftv.org/
                              I'm still here. Are you?

                              Comment


                              • Re: The Honolulu Star Advertiser

                                I'm still working on that subscription issue. Today I was able to activate my online subscription (it takes 48 hours after you make the payment) and mess around with the online reader.

                                It's a pretty good-looking interface if slightly awkward to navigate. The front page offers icons for RSS feeds, "interactive radio" (which I haven't played with yet), "read offline" (which requires the installation of a PressReader app, apparently), and "export to e-reader."

                                I've got an e-reader but haven't tried that one yet. I'm mostly interested in (a) accessing the issue on my phone and (b) the ability to print the NYT crossword.

                                I downloaded the PressReader app (free) to my iPhone but I'm in the middle of something on my phone right now so I haven't had a chance to look at it. I'm skeptical about crossword puzzle printing because it looks like you have to print the whole page.

                                It's 4:36 Sunday morning and the Sunday issue isn't available yet. I know that if I walked down to the Walgreens on the corner I could pick up the print edition right now. And if I were subscribing to the print issue, I _might_ have it in my driveway by now.

                                So...incomplete status update after one day.
                                But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                                GrouchyTeacher.com

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