Toronto Star Paywall Comes Crumbling Down, Turns To Le Presse For Tablet Edition

BY: 

Dave Forde
November 5, 2014

Toronto StarThat was quick, Torstar Corp.’s President and CEO David Holland told analysts during a conference call today the company plans to end the paywall they announced last year and has only been in place since August 2013.  As part of the new play Torstar will be partnering with La Presse to create a free tablet edition for the Toronto Star as print advertising revenue continues to suffer, and they will be a free / ad-driven model.

Toronto Star’s new tablet edition is not expected to launch until the fall of 2015, and it will use existing technology from La Presse. Torstar will also invest $1-million to $2-million in the fourth quarter this year, and $10-million to $12-million in 2015 to create the new product.

During the call, John Cruickshank, Publisher of the Toronto Star added the decision to eliminate the paywall was not due to revenue problems but rather a realization that the lack of crossover is growing between print newspapers and their digital counter parts.

You have to wonder if other Canadian newspapers will follow in the same path, or is there still a future for print newspapers?

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Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 20 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses. He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.


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