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Outsell, Inc. Unveils Groundbreaking Report Benchmarking Public News Publishers' Slow Progress Finding Profit in the Move Online
BURLINGAME, Calif. & LONDON-(Business Wire)-February 19, 2008 - As the news industry morphs to multi-media, digital platforms, the leading companies are still struggling to complete the evolution to profitable, revenue-generating models, according to a groundbreaking report from information industry analysts at Outsell, Inc. The study, "Top 10 US Public News Companies: Print-to-Digital Market Size and Share," is the first to provide a baseline of size and share metrics, and an apples-to-apples comparison of news companies' online revenues as a percentage of total publishing revenue.
The report reveals an increasing split between the national/global players, like the New York Times Co., Dow Jones and the Washington Post Co., and the more numerous regional ones, both in strategy and in results. It also highlights companies that are just beginning to break out from the pack, like Lee Enterprises, as they solidify their strategies for the next stage of the Internet.
"In online usage, most sites are just treading water. Our findings reinforce that no company has yet found a golden key," said analyst Ken Doctor, who leads Outsell's coverage of news companies.
The report focuses on two primary metrics—overall company performance and online usage— and calls out the top drivers for publishers that are outperforming their peers.
Among Outsell's findings:
— The news industry still generates nearly all revenue from print sources, and significantly lags other sectors of publishing compared to the information industry overall, which generates about 58.5 percent of revenues from non-digital sources. Only three major news organizations earn at least 10% of overall publishing revenues from digital.
— Companies' preparedness to transition from print to digital also varies widely. The report introduces Outsell's Circulation/Online Business Transition Ratio as one measure of their readiness, and reflects publisher disparity.
— Outsell's new metrics demonstrate that while performance tracks more closely on the legacy print side of the business, there are signs some publishers are beginning to break out of the pack online and bear watching for their innovations.
Journalists who would like to talk with Outsell about the report should contact Dawn Ringel, Warner Communications, 781-449-8456 or dawn@warnerpr.com. Companies that would like to purchase it should go to http://outsellinc.com/store/products/548?refid=pr548.
ABOUT OUTSELL, INC.:
Outsell is the only worldwide syndicated market research and advisory firm that delivers must-have intelligence and advice to publishers and information providers. We analyze markets, companies, and trends, and provide fact-based recommendations for high-level executives and product development, marketing, and strategy teams. In addition, we work with information managers to benchmark spending and demonstrate best practices. Outsell invests significantly in original research each year to guide clients in optimizing their strategies, plans, and performance. Outsell's headquarters are in Burlingame, CA, US and London, UK. Visit us at www.outsellinc.com.
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