February 19, 1998

In 3MR:

Do-or-Die Subscriptions

BusinessWeek reports:
"For Slate, [subscriptions are] do or die. 'There's no doubt that the day we slam the gate, the traffic will plummet,' says Kinsley. He figures readership will pick up again as Slate's reputation and influence continues to grow. But experts say it will be tough to win those readers back. 'I call it the Slatanic,' says William Bass, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. Slate is 'heading for the subscription iceberg,' in his view, as readers will simply browse elsewhere for free political commentary.

"Indeed, for all its fanfare, the 30-employee publication generated only about $1 million in advertising last year, according to Jupiter. 'We're not close to covering our costs,' admits Slate Publisher Rogers Weed. The annual bill for Slate tops $5 million, estimates David Card, analyst with IDC/Link Research in New York."

Just to show they're serious about selling subscriptions, there are even offers for free gifts at MSN.com if you subscribe to Slate: a Slate umbrella or Microsoft Encarta Virtual Globe 98. No word on offers for framed copies of visiting records to the White House with Lewinsky's signature.