PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The owner of Philadelphia’s two major newspapers is offering discounted tablet computers in an effort to attract more digital subscribers.
Philadelphia Media Network, which owns The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com, says it is the first major news company in the nation to try such a venture.
Publisher Greg Osberg said on Monday that the pilot project will provide about 5,000 tablets running Google’s Android operating system for as low as $99 to customers who buy a two-year digital subscription to The Philadelphia Inquirer or Philadelphia Daily News.
The discount tablets will be offered first-come, first-served to those who buy the company’s four apps: two that offer replicas of the papers’ print editions, one for philly.com and one that features a version of the Inquirer designed for tablets.