Having used newsagents to create one of the most successful magazine launches in Australian, News Ltd has done a deal with iSubscribe to make its Alpha sports magazine available by subscription. Newsagents have done the hard yards for News – giving up valuable in store promotional space, talking up the magazine across the counter, co-locating the magazine at the newspaper stand and in the sports section. Newsagents have also enforced the now ridiculous rule forcing people to purchase a News Ltd newspaper with each copy of Alpha sold. The iSubscribe offer has no such requirement.
While newsagents will fulfill delivery subscriptions sold through iSubscribe, opening this alternative sales route will dilute the newsagent offering for Alpha.
As a newsagent who has energetically supported Alpha and vigilantly adhered to the stringent rules laid down by News Ltd, I am offended at their disregard for my efforts and their desire to cut me out of profit now that I have helped make Alpha a success.