beischel
Member
Mailman was here today and still no July or August issue of CQ Magazine.
CQ Magazine Question
- Thread starter KR4BD
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k6cpo
Member
I think we've seeing the end of at least the print edition of CQ. This is likely a trend in publishing as the costs of printing and mailing continue to rise. In the not too far distant future all publications will be delivered digitally.
I edit and publish two newsletters, one for a rail museum and another for my ham radio club. The one for my radio club is delivered digitally only via our website. The rail museum newsletter is delivered partially in a print edition and partially digitally, depending on the preference of the member. I'd like to migrate the publication to digital completely to realize the savings because the money could be used better elsewhere, but a lot of our members don't have e-mail or internet access.
I edit and publish two newsletters, one for a rail museum and another for my ham radio club. The one for my radio club is delivered digitally only via our website. The rail museum newsletter is delivered partially in a print edition and partially digitally, depending on the preference of the member. I'd like to migrate the publication to digital completely to realize the savings because the money could be used better elsewhere, but a lot of our members don't have e-mail or internet access.
KR4BD
Member
I am beginning to believe CQ is DONE as we have known it. I, too, have not received the July or August issues as of today....BUT my September QST has arrived already. I still had at least two or three years left on the CQ subsciption, too. I had 2+ years left on Popular Communications when they dumped that last December. Funny thing, they (CQ) just sent me a "deal" to renew for three more years for about $85 (IIRC). I sent that solicitation directly to the round file.
KR4BD
CQ subscriber since 1975
KR4BD
CQ subscriber since 1975
beischel
Member
I know, I got a renewal a few months ago. It also went into the trash can. Why would anyone renew a subscription they are not receiving now? And with Katie Allen leaving after only about five months, I cannot believe will survive much longer.
Unfortunate situation, I would bet the print edition will be announced soon bye bye. I subscribed for 25 years or so, was a nice ham radio magazine, but bye bye as all print. To say my last on the subject I have not received my last three issues, maybe the printer in CHINA ran out of ink<ha>.
DOCTOR
DOCTOR
My "back-up" copy of the July issue arrived today.
I'm going to toss something out to the group...How many of you who have complained on here about the demise of CQ and the issues that you are missing have called their office to get your problems resolved? I have, as I've stated several times in this thread. Granted, I shouldn't have to. The magazines that I paid for should just arrive. But, sometimes, you've gotta take the bull by the horns.
I'm going to toss something out to the group...How many of you who have complained on here about the demise of CQ and the issues that you are missing have called their office to get your problems resolved? I have, as I've stated several times in this thread. Granted, I shouldn't have to. The magazines that I paid for should just arrive. But, sometimes, you've gotta take the bull by the horns.
k6cpo
Member
I haven't complained here because I let my subscription expire before this thread was started. However, I e-mailed them several times at this time last year when they were having similar problems with distribution. Nothing was ever solved and there were issues I never received, hence the decision to let my subscription lapse.
beischel
Member
I have called and emailed and all they do is extend my subscription which is worthless because they never deliver the subscription.
All they are doing if you receive an issue via mail after complaining is addressing complaints on an individual basis. Fact is if all of us called they could not meet the demand and the first class postage cost would crippled them even more.
What I find interesting is that in the past they always had excuses on their website about production problems. Now they just don't mention a thing. I think they believe that just ignoring the situation will make things better.
Might be better for all of us to just call and request a refund since it appears they don't care enough to tell us the truth and they certainly aren't delivering magazines.
All they are doing if you receive an issue via mail after complaining is addressing complaints on an individual basis. Fact is if all of us called they could not meet the demand and the first class postage cost would crippled them even more.
What I find interesting is that in the past they always had excuses on their website about production problems. Now they just don't mention a thing. I think they believe that just ignoring the situation will make things better.
Might be better for all of us to just call and request a refund since it appears they don't care enough to tell us the truth and they certainly aren't delivering magazines.
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
The last issue I got was from March. I since didn't bother to call. After sending e-mails in the fall when Pop Comm died, and getting no response, I figured this wasn't worth my effort.
But this weekend my July issue showed up all by itself. Apparently my subscription is in a time warp.
But this weekend my July issue showed up all by itself. Apparently my subscription is in a time warp.
beischel
Member
Did anyone talk to the CQ folks at the Huntsville hamfest? I would like to hear the spin they are putting on this now.
lep
Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2002
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- 948
I was in Huntsville over the weekend. The former ARRL staff member who left to join CQ in advertising sales several months ago has now left CQ and is working for HRD logging programs (W4PC president) and Katie was working the HRD booth. Around the corner was the CQ magazine booth with 2 cases of July 2014 magazines for individual sale at $2 cash each. Rich Moseson was not personally present but their spokesperson said his absence was a personal (not business) problem. They had a "special" subscription rate they were promoting. Their representative could NOT verify when (or if) the July issue had actually been mailed nor when the August issue might be mailed. He had NO samples of an August issue. (as has been noted in another post, many folks already have the September 2014 issue of QST).
Other than a 'courtesy' stop at the CQ booth I had no substantive discussion as I am not a subscriber and did not avail myself or the special promotion!
yaesu_dave
Member
The last issue of CQ I received was the June 2014 issue, and it wasn't delivered until at least the middle of July. I am receiving CQ because I was a long time Pop'Comm subscriber who never got any issues of that publication after the August or September 2013 issues. After my emails regarding my Pop'Comm subscription went unanswered, I gave up of trying to get the back issues I'd missed since I only renewed for a year. Now it looks like the print edition of CQ is going the way of Pop'Comm and Monitoring Times as well. Speaking as a Pop'Comm subscriber of 15+ years, I think CQ Communications has really handled the issue of the problems with their print publications in an extremely ham-fisted (no pun intended) manner. The least they could have done was send out notices to their subscribers to let them know what was going on. I renewed my Pop'Comm subscription last August and had no clue as to why I stopped receiving issues until I read the messages on the RR forums.
I think the problems that CQ and the other radio magazines have experienced recently are symptomatic of print media in general. Therefore, I've resorted to only renewing my magazine subscriptions for one year at a time to avoid getting totally screwed. Like it or not, we live in a digital age, and the waning demand for print media likely means that almost all magazines will be defunct within the next 5-10 years.
I think the problems that CQ and the other radio magazines have experienced recently are symptomatic of print media in general. Therefore, I've resorted to only renewing my magazine subscriptions for one year at a time to avoid getting totally screwed. Like it or not, we live in a digital age, and the waning demand for print media likely means that almost all magazines will be defunct within the next 5-10 years.
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
My Wired magazine arrives every month without fail.
Although with a title of Wired...that's about as opposite as you can get, by definition, of a radio-related magazine. So maybe that's why!
VE3JSO
Member
i still have not seen any cq editions in canada yet guess they forgot to pay their bills
beischel
Member
I keep reading posts on various sites from DX (non-US) stations who have not received CQ Magazine all year. I believe the postage cost them too much so they just don't send it out except to US based hams when they can. Just a guess but seems to be the MO of CQ.
yaesu_dave
Member
Just received my July 2014 issue of CQ in today's mail (August 20th). Better late than never, I guess.
VE3JSO
Member
postage cost has nothing to do with it from what i understand is that they contracted a Distribution company to deliver the magazines to people outside the us er and the problem is between cq and the distribution company
Last Monday, I called CQ's offices and complained that I hadn't received an August or September 2014 issue. The person on the phone said she'd send an August issue via 1st Class Mail and that the September issue had been mailed.
This past Saturday, there was an envelope from CQ in my mailbox. It contained the July issue, not the August issue. For the record, I've now received three copies of July including the one that was in the regular subscriber mailing.
Today, the August issue was in my mailbox. This was the regular subscriber mailing.
This past Saturday, there was an envelope from CQ in my mailbox. It contained the July issue, not the August issue. For the record, I've now received three copies of July including the one that was in the regular subscriber mailing.
Today, the August issue was in my mailbox. This was the regular subscriber mailing.
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