Michael Vivio, publisher of the
Waco Tribune-Herald for almost a year, was perplexed as to why his Texas newspaper -- like most dailies -- had been losing circulation for years. Selling about
38,000 copies on weekdays and4 5,000 on Sunday, his circulation director told him the sheet was losing $100,000 on declining street sales.
He decided the front page needs to be
dominated by the best display of the best story of the day, no matter where it happens. So, after conferring with top editors, he launched a transformation of the Waco Tribune-Herald, ending
its circulation swoon.
Changes to the front page began in September 2006 in the edition sold on the street, but the impact was immediate, with numbers rising 7%, a startling
improvement that has continued to this day.
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