Detroit Daily Press Closes

The Detroit Daily Press, which suspended its operations in December after only three editions, and encounted a several month delayed launch, has permanently closed its business.

Karen Dybols of the Detroit Blog quotes Mark and Gary Stern, the publishers and founders of the Detroit Daily Press:

"We've done everything possible to re-launch the Detroit Daily Press but the circulation issues persist," said Mark Stern, Co-publisher. "We tried to get union support and provide jobs. But the unions' demands would make it impossible for us to exist". …

"We tried to provide the Detroit area with a 7 day home delivered newspaper for 50 cents daily and $1.00 on Sundays while the other guys charge $1.00 daily and $1.50 on Sundays and they only deliver 3 days a week. And we set our advertising rates at only one-fourth of their rates. We could afford to do that because we don't have the fixed costs they do for owning presses, big buildings, trucks, pension funds and outstanding debt. But even the best newspaper at an affordable price to both the readers and advertisers can't work if it doesn't get into the hands of the public. And circulation is the key issue," added Mark Stern.