January 26, 2009
Press Release
Date: January 26, 2009 (For immediate release)
Contact: Susie Ellwood, Executive Vice President/General Manager
Phone: Susie Ellwood, Executive Vice President/General Manager
Email: sellwood@dnps.com
NEW PLANS ENSURE DAILY NEWSPAPER DELIVERY TO SENIORS, OTHERS BY MAIL
DETROIT, Mich., January 26, 2009 -The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News announced today two new components of the new home delivery model that will be implemented March 30.
“When we made the announcement last December about frequency and distribution changes we immediately heard from a significant number of people who were concerned about seniors, house-bound residents and others who, regardless of delivery time, want their Free Press or News delivered every day,” said Dave Hunke, CEO of Detroit Media Partnership and Publisher of the Detroit Free Press.
The new delivery options will include:
Developing partnerships with more than 200 senior residences, elder care facilities and apartment complexes. Under these partnerships, facilities would take delivery of a bulk number of newspapers and resell single copy editions to their residents.
Working with the U.S. Postal Service to mail same-day copies of each newspaper to homes on days that will not be home delivered by the Detroit Media Partnership (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday) in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties.
“These programs will be helpful for those readers who find it difficult to go to their neighborhood retailer to purchase a copy regularly,” Hunke said.
The following home delivery options are available:
Three day home delivery on Thursday, Friday and Sunday with access to daily electronic editions, an exact copy of each days print edition.
Three day home delivery on Thursday, Friday and Sunday without daily access to electronic editions.
Same-day mail delivery on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday within Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Those subscribing to postal delivery four days a week will receive their newspaper at the same time they receive their mail. Fees are subject to change based on U.S. Postal rates.
Resident facilities interested in offering newspapers for sale should contact John Bentley at 313-222-8662 for additional information.
At a press conference in December 2008, the Detroit Media Partnership announced plans to continue to publish newspapers every day of the week but limit home delivery to Thursday, Friday and Sunday beginning March 30. Please visit www.freep.com/transform and www.detnews.com/transform to get the latest information and developments regarding this bold transformation.
Detroit Media Partnership, L.P. manages the business functions of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. As the largest newspapers in Michigan, with two of the most visited Web sites in the market, the Free Press and The News combine to reach a weekly audience of 2.1 million people; 56% of adults in this market see our products.* Detroit Media Partnership is also the advertising sales agent for the following suburban Detroit publications: Observer & Eccentric and Mirror Newspapers, Novi News, Milford Times, Northville Record, South Lyon Herald and Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. Gannett Co., Inc., owner of the Free Press, is the general partner in DMP; MediaNews Group, owner of The News, is the limited partner.
*SOURCE: 2008 Scarborough Report - August 2006 - July 2007 - Detroit DMA
