We've commented before that it's hard to get a fix on the price of an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette subscription. Different rates appear different places for different types of service in different areas.
But here's a consumer tip: The price may be as negotiable as a rug in Istanbul.
A friend happened to walk into an office today where a man was on the phone to cancel his subscription to the Sunday-only Democrat-Gazette. The man lives in Little Rock and had been paying $7.95 a month. He gave us a copy of a letter saying his rate was going up effective Nov. 5 to $13.95 a month, a 75 percent increase. The letter noted that newspapers everywhere are raising circulation rates because of declines in ad revenue and that the D-G rates still compare favorably with those in other cities.
Sorry, the subscriber said. Too much.
No problem, the D-G employee on the other end of the line said. We'll extend your subscription for six months at the current rate. No increase.
Moral: Bargain. How can it hurt?
PS — That $13.95 for a Sunday paper and on-line access doesn't look so bad when you consider the newspaper website says a subscription for on-line-only access costs $28 a month. At least that's the sticker price.