The free Star Metro commuter newspaper “will be no more” in Vancouver and the rest of Canada, according to the Toronto Star.
Final editions will be published on Friday, December 20th, a spokesperson told CBC News. That includes the Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Halifax editions.
As for the reason, it’s what you’d expect when a newspaper ends its run in this day and age.
“Commuter readers are using their smartphones, laptops and tablets to access their news”, the spokesperson told CBC News.
CBC News also acquired an internal memo, in which Torstar CEO John Boynton revealed that print advertising had “decreased significantly in recent months to levels below those required to make them commercially viable.”
For a newspaper like the Star Metro Vancouver that’s free and doesn’t have a subscription fee, that often spells doom.
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Free newspapers have historically also relied on advertising revenue from Classifieds sections. However, those were significantly undercut with the advent of the internet, as well as things like Craigslist.
Boynton’s memo also acknowledged that 73 people would lose their jobs as a result of shutting down the newspaper. They include jobs on the Editorial, Advertising, and Distribution department.
The flip-side of this is the digital front. According to the spokesperson, digital content will still be offered, but under the existing Toronto Star brand.
This includes new bureaus in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax.
For more Metro Vancouver news, stay tuned to 604 Now News.
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