[CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates

Sun Aug 30 19:18:30 EDT 2015

How many of us would be CQ Magazine subscribers if it weren't for the 
contest results?
Barry W2UP

On 8/30/2015 12:05, ve4xt at mymts.net wrote:
> Contests were never money makers for any magazine. The difference is the cost of the contest was easily covered by other revenues, including subscription revenue, which dictated advertising revenue: the more subscribers, the more you could obtain for advertising.
>
> That formula holds in reverse: the fewer readers, then you have fewer advertisers each willing to pay less.
>
> As revenue falls, something has to give.
>
> 73, Kelly
> ve4xt
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Aug 30, 2015, at 12:57 PM, Rudy Bakalov via CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
>>
>> If this is the case then the magazine has outlived its usefulness and relevance as a contest sponsor. Perhaps some of the equipment manufacturers would be interested in more prominent sponsorship in return for better visibility and publicity.
>>
>> Rudy N2WQ
>>
>> Sent using a tiny keyboard.  Please excuse brevity, typos, or inappropriate autocorrect.
>>
>>
>>> On Aug 30, 2015, at 11:38 AM, Randy Thompson K5ZD <k5zd at charter.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> " The publishing business is all about eyeballs and without the contests
>>> there will be no eyeballs."
>>>
>>> Sadly (for us contesters) this is not true.
>>>
>>> If you look at reader surveys conducted by both CQ and ARRL, contest
>>> coverage and line scores receive some of the lowest interest marks.  This is
>>> why you have seen the line scores migrate out of the magazines and on to the
>>> web.
>>>
>>> Let's say there are 75,000 active contesters.  And there are 200,000 active
>>> DXers.  Now compare that to a global ham population of 1.5 million hams...
>>>
>>> One of the great aspects of ham radio is its diversity of interest areas.
>>> Covering that range of passion is what sells magazines.  Contesting is just
>>> one part.
>>>
>>> Contesters and DXers are active.  And they do buy stuff.  But, they are not
>>> the market makers.  This may have been different many years ago when there
>>> were fewer hams and getting on the air was more of an achievement.
>>>
>>> All that said, we love what we do.  We take pride in building skills,
>>> improving international goodwill, and enjoy a competitive fun outlet.
>>> Contesting fulfills many of the purposes of ham radio and that's why the
>>> National ham radio organizations support and promote it.  The question is
>>> who should pay for it...
>>>
>>> Randy, K5ZD
>>>
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
>>>> Rudy Bakalov via CQ-Contest
>>>> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2015 12:16 AM
>>>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>>>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Future of Paper Certificates
>>>>
>>>> I personally don't care about a paper certificate, but do remember the
>>>> excitement of receiving my first one. In fact, it was the certificate
>>>> that encouraged me to come back to the contesting world having left it
>>>> when I was in my early 20s.
>>>>
>>>> One thing that I genuinely don't understand is what exactly is CQ
>>>> Magazine's sponsorship? If they have a problem with mailing the
>>>> certificates then what's left?
>>>>
>>>> The way I see things, it is the contest that is funding the magazine, not
>>>> the other way around. Without the different contests the magazine will
>>>> have no appealing contest, circulation will go down, advertisers will
>>>> pull their marketing dollars, the magazine will cease to exist.  The
>>>> publishing business is all about eyeballs and without the contests there
>>>> will be no eyeballs.
>>>>
>>>> Rudy N2WQ
>>>>
>>>> Sent using a tiny keyboard.  Please excuse brevity, typos, or
>>>> inappropriate autocorrect.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 29, 2015, at 9:15 AM, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Extremely interesting.
>>>>> I like the idea of the printable also.
>>>>> Just curious tho.
>>>>> With the paper they make certs, how down the scores did they go in say
>>>> 2013? Where they automatically sent one to someone?
>>>>> I just looked for the fun of it, went to CQWW and entered my call, and
>>>> it tells me all the times I entered CQWW. Pretty cool, but then I see
>>>> that a cert is there too! what?!
>>>>> Aparantly I took 2nd place for CQWWSSB 10 M low power 9 land, and I
>>>> never knew it. And too bad only ran 12 hours a few more maybe one more
>>>> and I could have had 1st place! I was that close in second place.
>>>>> BUT I know for sure I never got a Paper cert. so just wondering I know
>>>> things may be changing, but in say 2013, how deep in the winners listins
>>>> did they go and send out paper certs.
>>>>> Joe WB9SBD
>>>>> Sig
>>>>> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
>>>>> Idle Tyme
>>>>> Idle-Tyme.com
>>>>> http://www.idle-tyme.com
>>>>>> On 8/28/2015 10:01 PM, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:
>>>>>> There is an important conversation about the future of paper
>>>>>> certificates happening on the CQWW blog.  Please visit
>>>>>> http://cqww.com/blog/the-future-of-paper-certificates/ and add your
>>>>>> opinion to the mix.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Randy Thompson, K5ZD
>>>>>> Director - CQ WW DX Contest
>>>>>> email: k5zd at cqww.com
>>>>>> web: www.cqww.com
>>>>>> Facebook: www.facebook.com/cqwwdx
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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