Problems at Patch.com

I believe their thought process is something like:

1) It's better for them if you live there.
2) It's not their problem if you live off ramen noodles cooked on your car's engine heat.
3) Someone will take the job no matter what.

 

At $40K per staffer + benneys of probably at least $10K + an undisclosed freelance budget + overhead of at least $10K a year (probably much higher, depending on hosting costs) you're looking at at least $75K revenue needed per patch per year. That's a lot of dentist and dog grooming ads.

 

Is it true that Patch is asking for $15 CPM per ad?

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/24/entertainment/la-et-onthemedia-20100424

The Manhattan Beach site doesn't have any ads, but has been around for at least a year.

 

As I've said, there is a cost of living increase for some pricey areas. I'm in Rhode Island though, so I don't know how pricey is too pricey for rent, and I wouldn't qualify for it anyway. With my check, I pretty easily make rent, which is $550 a month with a roommate for a pretty decent two-bedroom duplex bordering a farm. In comparison, at my last newspaper gig I also had to substitute teach on the side.

 

Again Yankeefan, you are just denying or criticizing without adding substance.

 

Wrong.

Any real media entity is entirely transparent about their numbers. Is Patch?

And, I just asked you to tell me who you think is an ideal potential advertiser, because I can't think of any.

They don't have enough sites to do a real national or even regional buy and their local sites cover areas much to small.

And, they're not targeted at all beyond local.

Advertisers want to reach their audience. There's no point spending money to reach people who are not your potential customers. Advertising needs to be targeted and there are plenty of ways to economically reach your target audience.

I could go on. I used to do this for a living. I've bought millions of dollars of advertising.

 

So you share the opinion that newspapers, TV, and radio are too expensive for anything but national chains and massage parlors to advertise with, as YNWA believes?

 

Newspaper circulations are audited, subject to fraud, but still audited. If you buy online ads, you should be able to see the stats. It's a big red flag if a company refuses to release stats.

But Patch is great. The drinks were flowing at our meeting, spirits were high as were some of us, no problems at all. Cutting the freelance budget means we can focus on what we do best, covering our local cities. Don't worry if I don't get enough sleep. Don't worry about the quality of our sites either. It's what you really want anyway.

How's the morale in your shop, suckers?

 

That was my point.

 

For what it's worth, I was quoted $40K when I interviewed.

 

The regional editor I interviewed with in the fall thought he could get me on the upper end of the $35-45K range, but then again, I'm a little older and more experienced than most of the hirees. I do know of at least two Patch LEs in their 50s - both former bosses of mine.
I did hear last night that one Patch in my area has had its freelance budget cut, which appears to lessen the possibility that it will ever come to the town I live in or the next town over, the job I'm most interested in (which actually is a pretty upscale community and a natural for Patch).
I can understand why SG isn't going whole hog on sports - his town is a big sports priority for two well-established weekly chains (one of which was created by the guy who owned the other before selling it to JRC and watching what happened).

 

And somebody was just talking to me about a strawman (on another thread)? Funny stuff.