Corbin Times Tribune changing to four-day schedule


By Bill Hanson, Publisher

(A message to subscribers of the Corbin Times-Tribune)

Bill Hanson

At the Times-Tribune, we have seen significant changes in how and where people obtain news and information, even compared to just a few years ago.

Our readership remains strong, but our audience now accesses our content on multiple platforms such as print, online, social media and mobile, including our own Times-Tribune app.

The Times-Tribune has published a newspaper six days a week for a very long time. But today, we have more ways to get you the news. And now that a significant portion of our audience reads us outside the printed product, it’s time for us to adjust to reflect that trend.

For that reason, beginning May 21, the Times-Tribune will change its publication cycle from Monday through Saturday to Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The reduction of two print editions, however, won’t mean readers will miss out on the news. We’ll be moving content those days — and the rest of the week — in a timely fashion on our digital platforms. And popular features that have been published on Mondays and Thursdays will find a home on other publishing days.

Readers can be confident that we intend to maintain our status as the leading provider of news and information in the Tri-County.

No other business anywhere joins you on life’s journey — from birth to death — like your local newspaper. We value the trust you place in us as your best community resource.

I know some of you will be disappointed by these changes. Some will be just plain angry. My hope is that most of you will understand that our business must adapt to the changing marketplace.

As a 35-year veteran newspaperman, I love the printed newspaper as much as anyone. Frankly, there is nothing that will ever replace the feel of a physical newspaper in your hands over morning coffee.

Rest assured, this change is not the first step in the elimination of your Times-Tribune.

We love seeing or hearing about clippings from our printed newspaper hanging on refrigerators all around the Tri-County region. That is a testament to the value you place on the work we are so proud to call our own.

And that’s really the point of all of this — you.

We make adjustments every day to what our readers and advertisers want from us through their actions. If a special promotion we are working on gets adequate advertising support, we know it is valuable to advertisers and, thus, a product we need to deliver. Likewise, as our digital numbers continue to climb, we have to make the logical conclusion that our readers are telling us what they want — digital access.

Nobody denies that digital distribution is probably the future of every printed news product, but we aren’t there yet. We are simply adjusting our print schedule to reflect the demands of the market.

This change will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint by operating our machinery less, and to use less newsprint and ink. We’ll realize a cost-savings, too, and extend the life of our equipment — and that’s important to the health of any business.

If you are a subscriber to the Times-Tribune currently, you have access to all our online content. If you haven’t enjoyed that benefit yet, call our circulation department and our staff will be happy to assist you in setting up the Times-Tribune digital newspaper on your platform of choice.

I hope that you will continue to support the Times-Tribune and understand that our quality of journalism is critical in the Tri-County communities. Your subscription and your patronage of the advertisers in our products will ensure that our mission continues through whatever this market has in store.

Thanks for reading.

 

(Editor’s Note: Per the Kentucky Press Association bylaws, a publication of four or more days per week, is considered a daily newspaper. So the Corbin Times-Tribune will remain a daily newspaper according to KPA bylaws.)

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