After speculation that the Sunday edition of the Winnipeg Free Press would be altered, the paper has confirmed the change.
The new tabloid version will be called “On7,” and will carry breaking news, sport and entertainment stories, according to the paper’s website.
Home subscribers will not get the new edition, but it will be available in vending boxes for $1 or on newsstands and retail outlets for $1.25.
Popular Sunday sections, such as Homes, Books and Perspective will be included in Saturday’s paper, called “Free Press Weekend Edition.”
Publisher Bob Cox said the move is to combat falling revenues.
“On7″ will debut November 1.
Opinion on the change will definitely be mixed. As one humourous reader posted on the Freep’s website, “How long has George Costanza been in charge of your Marketing department?”
Additional details can be found in the official press release issued earlier today.
UPDATE: ChrisD.ca reached out to Bob Cox regarding a possible decrease in home subscriber fees. Here’s what he said:
Rates for weekend subscribers will change as the weekend edition will have more in it and will be more expensive. Daily subscribers will have no price increase this year and will have rates frozen for at least a year. There will not be a daily subscriber decrease; this is a way of avoiding a price increase.
The Winnipeg Free Press is a great value. It costs less than a dollar a day to get it delivered to your door. What else can you get delivered to your door daily for less than a dollar?
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mike Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
I was watching the website this afternoon and laughed that most of the 20-plus comments were all negative. You’re right, more than half have been removed, instead replacing it with a feedback email address. ‘Let’s not let the public see how pissed it is, let’s keep that joy to ourselves.’