View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
July 1, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Royal Mail abandons flexibility issue

By Press Gazette

Royal Mail has bowed to pressure from publishers and said it will not pursue a “flexibility” measure as part of the size-based pricing proposals affecting magazines.

The measure would have had a big impact on magazines carrying covermounts as it referred to the ease with which a magazine can be folded to letterbox size. Publishers were specifically concerned that it would have been down to the discretion of the frontline Royal Mail operator to decide whether a magazine was flexible enough – resulting in postal costs being doubled.

The Periodical Publishers Association lobbied on behalf of magazine publishers, pointing out that flexibility was a “subjective” measure which could be abused.

The PPA said it still has concerns about the Royal Mail’s plans to introduce a measure linked to the flatness of a publication. The current proposals dictate that if the surface of magazine of 10mm thickness or above falls outside a tolerance of 2mm, then the item will be classed as a packet rather than a large letter – also resulting in a substantial increase in costs.

Brin Bucknor, managing director of VNU Business Publications and chairman of PPA’s postal committee, said: “We still have a number of serious concerns around the issue of uniformity, and are keen to understand from Royal Mail the rationale behind a proposal which would see significant price increases at such low tolerances.”

By Ruth Addicott

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network