Sun Stands Firm Despite Loss Of Official Gazette
The Bermuda Sun is ‘standing firm’ despite the loss of the Official Government Gazette contract, Acting General Manager Glenn Jones said today [Jan 4].
Mr Jones said: “The Bermuda Sun was informed on December 24, 2012, that its bid to retain the Official Gazette contract was unsuccessful.
“Since that time our team at the Sun and its parent company MediaHouse have communicated to the Premier, the Cabinet Secretary and other senior officials in government our disappointment with the decision because of how vital the contract was to our operation, especially in this difficult economic time.
“Those officials have listened attentively to our concerns and have agreed to discuss with us ways to ensure our market can support two newspapers going forward. It is our fervent belief that anything less than two print news organizations in Bermuda would be regressive to our democracy and a blow to the confidence of our economy.
“In the meantime, we are working hard to let our customers know that even though the Sun is no longer the Official Gazette, it is still fully equipped to handle legal notices from our friends in the law community.
“The Sun prides itself on an excellent customer service record and fair journalism and it looks forward to providing both for the people of Bermuda for a long time to come,” concluded Mr Jones.
I guess the Gov’t gets more bang for its buck with the Royal Gazette-sad but true.
It would be a shame if the Sun went under due to this. However, at least no-one can accuse the Premier of showing favourtism to the Sun as his stepdaughter is a reporter there-if this was the PLP they’d throw them a bone just to keep their relatives employed…
EB pulled the contract from the Gazette years ago… (at least 5) I cant see why they should complain.. Personally I think it should switch year-to-year giving the press an equal share of the pie..
That’s a good idea…so it probably won’t happen
Who actually reads the Sun anymore?
Good point. Even the online version is clunky to use. Who is going to jump through all those hoops to use their comment section?
I do read the sun.
I like the Sun better
its sad
the sun reports good sports news and all the government notices and just a great paper to read the pick up what the RG doesn’t do
Don’t agree, its a comic. Also you’ve got to be daily to be relevant – news is faster than ever now, and the Bermuda Sun is a dinosaur.
Why should either newspaper expect the taxpayer…govt…to support them. What does it say about the papers’ management and the economy that that contract is so ‘vital’ to the Sun’s survival … and so needed by the RG?
Ss for arguing for need for two print medias – well hello – newspapers the world over after falling … and soon all news will be online. Sounds to me Sun has relied on Official paper contract and not kept up with the times. RG has its own financial struggles- just read the financial statemenst at the BSX.
No independent, profit based business should depend on the Government to stay afloat. Or depend on any one clientele for that matter. In today’s world, diversification, change of structure, new services, proper pricing – is necessary to stay afloat and thrive in a competitive marketplace.
Traditional sources of news no longer have the reach or dominance in the marketplace they once had. Low sales equal low advertising volume, which is where the money is made. All of you reading online and making your comments, how many of you actually purchase a paper each day, or the Bda Sun bi-weekly? And if you purchase one, does everyone else in your household do so as well? Lack of sales volume is why RG had to shut down the unprofitable Mid-Ocean News.
If you want to see the Bermuda Sun continue to provide a hard copy 2x a week, buy, buy, buy!
@AnotherView…running a typical business in Bermuda is NOT at all like running a business overseas. Bermuda is not (and never will be) like the “today’s world” you talk about where “diversification” is an option. There are TONS of Bermuda businesses that rely upon a small clientel. What would happen to Bda Press if they lost the Bermuda Telephone Directory? What would happen to many cleaning businesses if they lost ONE hotel contract. Bermuda is TINY and the customer base is very small.
Is the annual value of the contract known to the public?
A more fundamental question is why the government needs to have an official gazette? They shoould be able to publish the info online and make it available in hard copy for anyone that wants it.
From other on line sites, it is interesting to note that this happened so quickly (7 days after the election). Let’s assume it was one of the items on the ‘handover agenda’ that just happened to get immediate attention.
They have to have an official gazette as governments are notorious for wasting money. They should have a decent website (which the old Government seemed unable to do) and post all the notices there.
I would truly hate to see the Bermuda Sun’s going out of business, not simply because I agree that the island needs to have two newspapers, I happen to like their coverage as well.
But we’re talking business here. They had to know at some point they were going to lose the ‘official gazette’ it’s a contract/bid process and even though they’ve received it for a number of years due to the last Government’s bias, they shouldn’t have assumed it would remain theirs.
the days of an offical Gazette should be over anyway. Each government department should use whatever medium they choice to get their key messages out. the Offical Gazette sounds like a reward.
I guess it is!
The Royal gazette was hemoraging, this steady income will go far to make them competitive again. So many peoplel are ignorant to how this country runs. One hand washing the other. Welcome back UBP/OBA all the stars are being to line up once again!
so because it is not the PLP/BIU in charge, you are getting all up in arms?
“Welcome back UBP/OBA all the stars are being to line up once again!”
You may want to check your facts. The prior administration (i.e. the PLP) put the contract out to tender and selected the successful bidder.
I guess after years of overspending they thought it made better sense for the taxpayers to enjoy a break instead of using our hard earned dollars as a political tool.
agreed, welcome back front street posers, unfortunately they are all over from dockyard to st. joe.
Print news is dying. Young people don’t tend to read the printed newspaper. They read it online. So neither paper is picking up as many sales as they did a few years back. So, contracts for advertising from the likes of the government are a huge boon for whomever is the official gazette. It’s guaranteed advertising funds.
At least, in this case, it wasn’t a political decision to move the spending. It was a business decision.
I would agree that having only one news paper or news organization wouldn’t be beneficial for Bermuda. It’s good to be able to keep a variety of journalists employed here. Hopefully, both organizations can figure out how to better take advantage of online media for profits so that they can survive in the future.
Anything you read in the papers you must read with a grain of salt. That being said, if the RG becomes the only paper there is no accountability to its reporting. A second paper is vital for a democracy and the complexity of our society in Bermuda. A newspaper is very influential and a competitor is best for the people. No knock on Bernews, I love Bernews but it’s still a start up and limited.
As long as the former Government was paying our money to the Bermuda Sun,few people questioned the terms, including the cost. Now that the new Government have changed the vendor, the usual suspects are shouting and screaming from the rooftops!
The beat goes on………
I remember when …. The Bermuda Sun first came out. I was happy to have another source of information. Would someone at The Sun reprint the first day cover of the first edition? I’d kind of like to take that walk back down memory lane.
I think folks might like to see where we were at back then . People had a different focus on life.
Keep at the good work that was started . Maybe people will remember some of the things that worked before becoming the Official Gazette .
Congratulations are in order though for the Royal Gazette they too have contributed heaavily to Bermudians being Informed citizens.
William
I dont buy The Royal Gazzette read it online so not worth my money
I love reading the newspapers. Please do not give up the paper edition. I find it hard to find certain articles in the online version.
From what I understand, you can get the “entire” (RG) newspaper online in pdf format but you have to pay for it.
As a lot of us are reading online now. I find it funny people’s comments as this venue shows the very point less people buy printed papers. If both papers charged for online rather than having it free would there be such a problem regardless whom government choose ?
when I was on the verge of loosing my business the government weren’t there to cover my expenses to ensure I stayed in business. BDA Sun owners had a good run. Let the market (not the government/taxpayers) decide who survives
Agreed. On top of that, you do NOT want a Government subsidized newspaper. Talk about blurring the lines.
People stopped reading the sun when they took the tv guide out of it
Businesses need to evolve and adapt, painful and necessary to survive. Business owners that stick their head in the sand and use the wishful thinking technique end up with closed doors. I’m sure the Bda Sun will look within, refine its focus and direction and move on.
@32n64w….
The PLP/BIU were not concerned with the cost of using The Bermuda Sun as the Official Gazette. Quite simply, they just wanted The Royal Gazette out of business. This was another Ewart Brown vendetta and was well known. Remember their glee when The Mid Ocean closed?
I know for a fact, and this info is available, that the Royal Gazette’s bid year after year was less than half of the cost per col inch as was being charged by The Sun. How sad that the PLP recklessly spent the peoples money.
Let the contract be out for tender annually and the better bidder wins based on fair, transparent and achievable standards. Welcome back Royal Gazette. You do a fabulous job for this community.
RG do a good job for community? Which space ship you from? RG does a good job for UBP/OBA end of story.
I agree!!
I suppose it just depends on your perspective. I think overall the RG does a pretty good job in what is a very tough daily grind. It’s a shame you can’t bring yourself to admit that. They have become noticeably more balanced since the tabloid headlines of the EB era. I think being in a very difficult financial position, they had their sights on the Government contract and were toning down their stories. With the PLP having to look very closely at cost savings, if they had won they might have even selected the RG over Bda Sun this time around.
New Govt. in -New changes — it’s as simple as that! – get over it!
I guess you did not read the part where the decision to give the contract to the RG was made BEFORE the election.
The Sun does have way better sports reporting. Believe it or not, Bermuda does have sports other than cricket and football, but you wouldn’t know it reading the RG. The Sun also prints a full page of pictures highlighting sporting events around the island.
YUP the beat definately continues on …… I am very upseet that this has occured. The RG is soo misleading this is just another example as to how the FRIENDS AND FAMILY PLAN works. Why does there have to be an Official Gazette. If the Gov’t was truly concerned as to how legal notices get communicated to the public 1) Yes they would post notices online & 2) they would perhaps utilize both newspapers to disburse the information to maximize their reach.
Are you (along with a few other posters) simple ? ? Do you not read ? Can you not connect a time line ?
This was a PLP decision BEFORE the last election ! So much for for all the F&F plans , eh ?
The easiest jump in the world is the jump to conclusions.
While I think the Island needs two viable print media outlets, and I like the Sun, Tom Vesey and his crew didn’t shed a tear when the Mid-Ocean News went under. They were also, in my opinion, too quick to support the highly questionable Media Council and align themselves with the Government. They never made a strong enough statement against Government of the time pursuing defamation action against the Gazette. It was the duty of a member of the “fourth estate” to decry these things. They chose to treat the last Government with kid gloves. Those chickens are now coming home to roost. I hope the best for the paper, anyway. It has much to offer.
I don’t buy the Royal Gazette or read their online news. I like Bernews!
I am sad to see that any paper should be “awarded” the government contract. Why do they need a contract to place ads. Why don’t they just place the ads with the company that offers the best price each week?
That is effectively what the awarding of this contract is. A decision based on price, and presumably service. It’s more cost effective to do it once, rather than every week, obviously.
I agree with a previous post! I stopped buying the BDA Sun when they took the TV Guide out of it!! Put it back, and I will start buying it again–but not until!
People times will always continue to change and so to must businesses. Paper media in this island is useless and wasteful. Do u know how many newspapers are printed each day and trashed the next day. RG and BDA Sun must find new ways of generating money, u cant continue with old traditional methods forever. It may be disastrous to have only one newspaper but we will adapt and new business opportunities will arise. If BDA Sun was smart they would invest in an iPhone/ iPad or droid app and have ppl subscribe to their service for small monthly charge or waterer. Ppl carry their smart phones with them all day everyday, use ya damn heads u old dinosaurs and stop begging for money. This is why you need change to create new opportunities so as to not become stale and outdated.
Paper media is over. No one wants to wait to till the following day to pay $1 and read old news. I would be surprised if either paper has a circulation over 10,000. That said, your idea about people subscribing online is also flawed. Not many people will pay for content online either.
Who even buys newspapers anymore?