OPUBCO / Oklahoman Business Practices

[Ward]

My beef is the lousy home delivery.

Their accuracy has gone to crap. Once or twice in every Two weeks they miss my delivery. Now they tell me they have to mail me a replacement in the US Mail. I’m still waiting 8 days for one. It’s a hassle to call them.

[nighttrain12]

I just got a renewal notice for home delivery of The Oklahoman in the mail today. I subscribe to all 7 days and was a little perturbed earlier when they had raised the price to $7 per week (times 17 weeks). The new renewal price for 13 weeks totals up to $214.50! That's $16.50 a week! You can also renew for 17, 34, and 52 weeks but the per week price is exactly the same. The thing is, the number of pages of the newspaper has gone down in recent years.

[chuck5815]

I just got a renewal notice for home delivery of The Oklahoman in the mail today. I subscribe to all 7 days and was a little perturbed earlier when they had raised the price to $7 per week (times 17 weeks). The new renewal price for 13 weeks totals up to $214.50! That's $16.50 a week! You can also renew for 17, 34, and 52 weeks but the per week price is exactly the same. The thing is, the number of pages of the newspaper has gone down in recent years.

Well sure, but someone has to pay for Lackmeyer’s street car outings and Planet Fitness membership.

[jedicurt]

I just got a renewal notice for home delivery of The Oklahoman in the mail today. I subscribe to all 7 days and was a little perturbed earlier when they had raised the price to $7 per week (times 17 weeks). The new renewal price for 13 weeks totals up to $214.50! That's $16.50 a week! You can also renew for 17, 34, and 52 weeks but the per week price is exactly the same. The thing is, the number of pages of the newspaper has gone down in recent years.

and try to stop your subscription... they will hound you at least once a week for the next 2 years with phone calls to try and get you back...

[Pete]

They have added an entire section of non-local news. This in addition to already using lots of wire reports in other sections.

I calculated that on Monday fully 62% of the articles in the Oklahoman were written by someone out of state. This does not factor in the other contect such as comics, horoscope, puzzles, etc. None of that is created here either.

The impact of Gatehouse Media -- which owns scores of papers nationwide -- continues to be felt.

[Rover]

So, I hope the Gazette steps up and becomes the great local newspaper we demand, with hard hitting investigative reporting, sports reporting, business reporting, legal notices, social activities and entertainment, and other localized reporting.

I don't blame the newspapers that are failing all over the place. I blame a public which wants information for free and then can't understand why it isn't in depth, unbiased and relevant. The more we expect our news from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and propaganda outlets, the less we should expect to have a real press. We have demonized any true journalist whose stories don't fit our prejudiced beliefs. We put gun ownership as a constitutional right on a pedestal, but attack free press daily. As they say, we will reap what we sow.

[OKCretro]

I don't blame the newspapers that are failing all over the place.

Do you blame Blockbuster for failing? or Sears ?

Are those failings the publics fault as well?

[Rover]

This shouldn't surprise anyone. USA Today outsells the NY Times. This has been a trend for a long time. People don't want to pay for a large daily paper and certainly aren't willing to pay for well researched extensive and expensive articles. And, if the articles don't prove their already existing notions, they will just find an online alternative that gives them the "truth" they want.

Face it, as a society now we favor an inch deep and a mile wide over an inch wide and a mile deep. Now we may even be favoring and inch wide and an inch deep.

And, for anything that is over 15 minutes old, it is old news. Our attention span is short, short, short. We post short notes on sites. We don't even email anymore...we text. We take our "news" from tweets where we allow anyone to claim "truth" .... the writer is the fact checker and the accused gets to write their own "news".

Do you blame Blockbuster for failing? or Sears ?

Are those failings the publics fault as well?

So totally apples to oranges. If Blockbuster failed because people started watching only free 5 minute porn clips online, then yeah. People still buy, rent, and watch full feature films but the delivery system changed. The real apples to apples would be if no real quality films can be profitably made because watching free you-tube home videos became cultural equivalents.

[OKCretro]

Bottom line : Both companies were not able to keep up with the changing demands of their customers / public at large.

People went other places to find what they offered

[Rover]

Bottom line : Both companies were not able to keep up with the changing demands of their customers / public at large.

People went other places to find what they offered

Exactly. People SAY they want real news, but they favor tweets over facts...partisan propaganda over objective reporting .... free over paid. So, journalism can’t change to do that. It would just be them certifying their own death. There is a difference between being murdered and committing suicide.

[LordGerald]

and try to stop your subscription... they will hound you at least once a week for the next 2 years with phone calls to try and get you back...

That's exactly what happened to me.

[mugofbeer]

They can legally call you for 18 months after you stop service. If you formally request they stop calling you but continue to call, their ethics or lack of, should be brought out public. Any good company has do not call lists.

[nighttrain12]

I was looking around their website before calling them and saw NEW subscriptions for 7 days a week plus digital (website) are $19.50 per MONTH. That averages out to $4.50 per WEEK for new subscriptions compared to $16.50 per WEEK for renewals. That's just a ridiculous disparity in prices.

[Swake]

For comparison:

I pay $4.50 a week for digital only access to the Tulsa World including a daily PDF of the full paper.
Digital +7 days a week delivery would be $43.45
Wednesday, Friday, Sunday plus Digital would be $34.67
Wednesday, Sunday plus Digital would be $21.67

New subscriber prices are much lower. I get flyers sometimes and they have door to door sales people but I don't recall the exact prices.

[nighttrain12]

You said digital plus 7 day delivery of the Tulsa World is $43.45, over what time frame.

[Swake]

You said digital plus 7 day delivery of the Tulsa World is $43.45, over what time frame.

Sorry, monthly.

Also, I now see I typed I pay $4.50 a week for digital access, it's $4.50 a month.

[nighttrain12]

The Oklahoman: Daily is $2, Sunday is $3.50. It says at the bottom of page 2, Digital is $9.99 monthly. They list $17.00 a week for 7 day newspaper delivery. It looks like I will be switching to digital only.

[rjstone208]

I cancelled my subscription this morning because of delivery issues. Only got two deliveries this last week. The rest I had to call and register a complaint. Yesterday I didn't get a paper even though the phone rep assured me that a paper would be delivered and that my complaint would be elevated to the district and field managers. So this morning, no paper. I've been a mail or home delivery subscriber for about fifty years including all of my overseas and non-local assignments during an Army career. Even in Vietnam I still got it. Seems like their days are numbered. So I give up.

[okatty]

^These same delivery issues are over in our area as well. In terms of delivery service we have had excellent service over the years. But, the last 3 weeks have been a disaster. Some days no paper at all. Other days we get it mid-morning. We along with other neighbors have called and were told "We just cant find reliable delivery people." It's almost like they are asking you to cancel. Unfortunately I may have to join in your decision after a lot of years as a subscriber.

[Dob Hooligan]

I'm starting to wonder if it isn't part of their Grand Plan: Wean us off daily delivery by becoming later in the day and more sporadic with their print deliveries? My Oklahoman was delivered at 10:30 on Saturday, 12:45 Sunday, and not delivered as of 9:45 today (Having a Nest camera allows me to be this specific). This has made me aware that I don't really need a paper copy anymore. I read the print replica on my tablet in the morning and would take the paper version to the shop for a lobby copy. Not many people bother to read it there anymore.

Think I will just go to online only.

[Dob Hooligan]

After 2 weeks of sporadic delivery, I went to internet only. This made me realize that daily newspapers are akin to post WW 2 passenger rail service-a money loser with no way forward, yet their old customer base refuses to admit their inefficiency

[Quicker]

I was a former subscriber and was called the other day and offered home delivery and online access for $43 for 6 months. I told them I’d do that deal but really just wanted the online access and didn’t want home delivery...they replied that online only was $10 a month. So now I pick up the paper in the driveway and toss it in the trash...smh

[catcherinthewry]

I haven't gotten an email for a link to their digital version today. Does anyone else have this problem?

[Dob Hooligan]

I did not get my email link today. however, I always click on the icon on my iPad, so I did not notice the email issue until now.

[catcherinthewry]

I was able to use my iPad app as well. I just prefer to use my lap top. These people can't even do digital right.