AsiaOne
Monday, Sep 05, 2011
Singapore - The Straits Times (ST), the flagship newspaper of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), today announced a new All-in-One pricing package for its print, online, iPad and iPhone offerings.
Direct subscribers to the print edition (i.e. the newspaper) will be offered a special introductory rate of only $2 a month more to access the new ST iPad application, the enhanced ST iPhone app and the revamped ST Online.
Subscribers who currently purchase their daily newspaper through their vendors will have to convert to being direct subscribers of SPH to enjoy the All-in-One package.
To sign up, users should go to www.stsubscribe.com.
The ST iPad and iPhone app was launched on 1 August and offered free for a trial period. From 8 September, the ST will be available in multiple editions on the following platforms:
(1) the daily print (newspaper) edition;
(2) the ST Online edition, which comprises a free section and a paid section; the paid section is called ST Premium and is accessible only with a subscriber password;
(3) a paid iPad edition, with breaking news offered free;
(4) a paid iPhone edition, with breaking news offered free.
The All-in-One package comprises all of the ST editions listed above.
Currently, a monthly subscription to The Straits Times newspaper costs $24.65, excluding delivery charges. From 8 September, direct subscribers can opt for the All-in-One package at a special introductory price of $26.65 per month for a one year contract.
The various ST editions can also be purchased separately. The new ST Online Premium edition, which contains the full content from the day's newspaper, will cost $7 a week or $26.65 per month.
A subcription to the ST iPad and iPhone editions can be purchased from the App Store at US$7.99 (approximately S$10) a week or US$27.99 (approximately S$35) a month. (The ST iPad and iPhone app is a universal app, i.e. it is built and optimised to run on both the iPhone and iPad and can be purchased at a single price.)
Those who purchase an iPad and iPhone subscription will also be given free access to the ST Online Premium edition. This package is therefore the ST Full Digital package.
Mr Patrick Daniel, Editor-in-Chief, English and Malay Newspapers Division, said: "The All-in-One package is truly a milestone for us and positions SPH for the future. For too long, newspaper publishers have struggled to come up with a sensible pricing policy for their print and digital editions. ST readers can now pay one affordable price to access the product on whichever platforms they prefer. We are confident that our readers will find this an attractive deal."
Mr Han Fook Kwang, Editor of The Straits Times, said: "We are greatly encouraged by the positive response from readers and advertisers alike for our ST iPad and iPhone app. Our new offerings serve our readers far better than we've ever done in the past. They can now read us throughout the day on print, online or mobile."
Mr Han said that, as at 31 August, the ST app has been downloaded a total of 1.4 million times. This number incorporates new first-time downloads as well as downloads to update the app. Some 10 per cent of the downloads were from overseas accounts.
To further enhance ST's digital offerings, the ST Online edition has been relaunched with improved features.
The free section now provides a richer multi-media experience with seamless integration of videos from ST RazorTV and with citizen journalism content from STOMP, as well as more effective use of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. One new feature is "The Big Story" which focuses on the key story of the day. Breaking news remains free.
From 8 September, the ST Premium edition will be accessible to all newspaper subscribers who sign up for the All-in-One package. Aside from the full content of the ST print edition, it includes a premium breaking news service. ST Premium subscribers also get the following:
- an e-paper version of the daily ST newspaper;
- an e-reader edition which can be downloaded and read offline;
- a 7-day archive of the ST
Mr Eugene Leow, Editor of ST Online, said: "We put in considerable effort to integrate our various offerings - news, videos and interactive citizen journalism. We have also made the website easier to navigate with a cleaner look and design. I'm delighted that our consolidated site has already seen a sharp increase in pageviews and unique visits."
Mr Felix Soh, ST Digital Media Editor, said: "It has been 16 years since ST first went online. Our goal is to achieve the same long-term success in the digital media space as we have had in print over the last 167 years. With our new digital offerings and more to come, we are confident we will get there."
For circulation queries, please call the SPH customer service hotline at 6319-1800 or email stics@sph.com.sg. The operating hours of the customer service hotline are 8.30am to 5.30pm (Mondays to Fridays), and from 8.30am to 12.00pm on Saturdays. The hotline is closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
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