BEATROUTE MAGAZINE AND THE STATE OF ALTERNATIVE WEEKLIES: FOLLOW UP

I wasn't able to confirm the YOY readership numbers for Fast Forward, See Magazine, and Vue Weekly because they're not measured by PMB. Instead, I had a chance to talk with Rob at Vue Weekly to get his opinion on alternative weeklies vs free transit dailies as well as Toronto/Montreal vs the West.

Rob cautioned that the alt weekly readership declines in Toronto and Montreal cannot be simply extrapolated for Calgary and Edmonton. The success of the free transit dailies back East is--not surprisingly--because of the high transit ridership in the larger cities. Its editorial is updated daily and can be picked up for free; arguably compelling alternatives against picking up an alt weekly or a paid daily.

Out West, however, the transit system is less developed and ridership much lower. Alt weekly distribution is more balanced and less dependent on heavy presence on the transit platforms. Unlike the East, the free transit dailies here are only taking away something the alt weeklies never had great success with.