Popular Photography magazine drops 3 issues per year

I'm not sure why they think they can get away with this and keep subscribers. Instead of a July issue, Popular Photography sent out a "Special Double Summer Issue" for "July/August". Inside it says that they are now "published monthly (except combined January/February, March/April, and June/July issues)..." The Editor's Letter explains how much 'better' it is now that there are only 9 issues per year instead of 12.

While this issue is bigger than previous issues, it isn't twice as big. I am about half way into a "2 year (24 issue)" subscription, and they apparently decided to just short everyone some issues. I'm a long time subscriber, and generally like the magazine, but I'm not happy about this change. I will probably try to cancel my subscription and ask for a refund of the rest (which I probably won't get).

I'm guessing the magazine is struggling to survive. Printing costs must be expensive, especially if circulation numbers are low. They may have cut staff to save money.

If you like PP then stay with it. Canceling now may speed up their demise. Btw, about a week ago I received a subscription offer from PP.
I don't remember the subscription cost, but it was ridiculously low. Maybe it's an indication that the publisher is having financial problems.

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Perfectly Frank wrote in post #18056785
I'm guessing the magazine is struggling to survive. Printing costs must be expensive, especially if circulation numbers are low. They may have cut staff to save money.

If you like PP then stay with it. Canceling now may speed up their demise. Btw, about a week ago I received a subscription offer from PP.
I don't remember the subscription cost, but it was ridiculously low. Maybe it's an indication that the publisher is having financial problems.

That ridiculously low subscription offer would make me suspicious. It wouldn't surprise me if they did that to generate a lot of cash, then, a few months into the new subscriptions, they announce that they will be going to just 6 issues per year.

Or, worse yet, a few months after a bunch of people pay for new subscriptions, they announce that they will be going "all digital", and that the magazine will now exist only in an online format, and that as a "valued subscriber" you will be given a "special passcode" to use so that you can access "exclusive content" made available "only to subscribers". What a bunch of B.S. that would be!.

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Print media of ll kinds is really hurting.. I'm surprised they have lasted this long. If it's not "Cosmo" or some else that sells in the check out aisle, the circulation has plummeted.

Check with your local library. Some can give you access to Zinio for dozens of magazines.

Perfectly Frank wrote in post #18056785
I'm guessing the magazine is struggling to survive. Printing costs must be expensive, especially if circulation numbers are low. They may have cut staff to save money.
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Not only that, subscription specials for $5 a year has to greatly cut into their margins as well. I'm guessing that there is almost no one paying the news stand price and very few paying more than $5 a year subscription price. At 41 cents an issue, they have to be loosing money and making it up with advertising.

Whether or not they are hurting, there are honest ways to cut costs, but changing the subscription terms after being paid isn't one of them. And they are still advertising (with an included card) subscriptions of "2 years (24 issues)".