By: Jennifer Saba The Orange County (Calif.) Register launched a new paper called the OC Post today.
Like other recent niche products, the OC Post is a tab format with condensed news (like Quick in Dallas). It's home delivered (like The Examiner in Washington, D.C.). It skews towards a younger demo (like Redeye in Chicago).
What sets the OC Post apart from other niche papers: Readers have to pony up to get it.
"If it were free, [people] would consider it a throw-away," said N. Christian Anderson III, editor in chief of the OC Post and publisher of the Register.
The tab is positioned to attract young couples with children who have above average household incomes, and, this is the important part, who don't read the Register.
There's a danger that the OC Post might be too successful. And Anderson says that it's likely that some Register readers will migrate to the new product. "For people who are very close to canceling their subscription, the number one reason they discontinue the Register is they have no time to read. We would happily have them as readers of the OC Post if they are not finding the Register useful."
The tab is distributed to 75,000 houses in a sweeping sampling program that started today. A yearly subscription costs $39.99 but the paper is rolling out an introductory charter rate of $19.99. The Monday through Saturday product is also sold on newsstands for 25 cents.
The Orange County Register goes for 50 cents daily and $1.50 on Sunday. Anderson says they hope to get 140,000 home delivered subscribers with an additional 10,000 single copy sales.
The OC Post has its own dedicated staff of about 20 people but the paper will never bulk up past 48 pages, Anderson explains, keeping to its mission to fit people?s busy lives.
Advertising is based on limited positions. The stories cover local and national issues with sections on money, health, arts and entertainment, and styles. Sports start on the back page, New York tab-style.
The paper also carries a 12-page classified section (with some ads picked up from the Register).
Anderson says they have been selling advertising since the beginning of January and that so far, the advertisers on board like Macy?s and JCPenney are the same ones in the Register.
"We have really focused on how do we reach more customers," Anderson said who notes that paper has introduced lots of niche products including SqueezeOC. "We came to the conclusion the Register is a one-size-fits-all product that doesn't fit all people."
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