HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7897 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7897
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March 16, 1995
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o the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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XA Subject: CITY PAGE
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BACKGROUND
The City of Fort Worth began publishing the City Page on June 24, 1994 and has published the Page
weekly since.
Written and designed by City staff, City Page appears as an advertisement weekly in the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram. The cost of the full-page is$1,200 and it is distributed in the Fort Worth edition that
goes to approximately 150,000 subscribers. Initially,the Texas Times weekly newspaper, serving
an estimated 50,000 readers in Tarrant and Southeast Fort Worth, ran the City Page without charge
to the City. The City gave Texas Times permission to run advertisements in place of the calendar.
The La Vida News has run the City Page since shortly after publication began under the same
arrangement negotiated with Texas Times. La Vida News has a circulation of approximately 34,929
that targets African-American residents in Tarrant County. No Hispanic newspapers are printing the
City Page.
DISCUSSION
At the February 28 City Council meeting, the issue was raised whether City Page was distributed
to all portions of the City of Fort Worth, particularly the far north areas.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram representatives provided City staff information and maps of the current
area reached by the City Page. All portions of Fort Worth receive the City Page with the exception
of the far northeast area, generally bounded by Loop 820 on the south and Interstate 35 on the west.
A Star-Telegram zone map is attached. The area in blue and labeled "Northeast Metro West" is the
area of Fort Worth not served currently. It also contains portions of other Northeast Tarrant County
cities.
The Star-Telegram Northeast Metro West area has a circulation of approximately 25,000. Editions
of the Northeast Metro West appear in the newspaper on Sundays and Thursdays. To include City
Page in the Northeast Metro West edition,the additional cost to the City would be $200 a week on
Thursdays or$300 a week on Sundays.
Adding the Northeast Metro West area would increase the City's weekly advertising cost for the City
Page to $1,400 or $1,500, depending on which day of the week the Page appears. Annually,
advertising cost with the Star-Telegram would increase from $62,400 to $72,800 or $78,000,
respectively.
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7897
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04 V"ti'.tiw To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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Providing the City Page to the Far North Fort Worth area with a delivery service that is operated by
the Star-Telegram would cost more than$500 a week,newspaper officials estimate. Mailing 25,000
City Page reprints via the U.S. Postal Service would cost$8,000 for postage alone, at the 32 cents
per item mailing rate. Printing and folding would add cost.
Texas Times has proposed to run the City Page weekly. The Texas Times has an estimated
circulation of approximately 50,000 weekly, with an estimated 25,000 in Fort Worth, primarily in
the southeast section of the city. Texas Times proposes that the Page be modified weekly by City
staff to feature a service, activity or other news that is of interest in Southeast Fort Worth.
The Texas Times has extended an offer to the City to run the City Page weekly for a discounted rate
of$550 a week. The annual cost of placing the Page in Texas Times would be $28,600. Contracts
with terms of 8, 13 and 26 weeks are also available.
The City Page has proven to be a very effective tool for communicating news and information about
the city and its many services and activities. Staff will be happy to pursue the desires of Council on
this matter.
Bob Terrell
City Manager
Attachment
— ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER - — — ---- FORT WORTH, TEXAS —
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