Bucking a growing trend in the newspaper business, Philadelphia City Paper publisher Paul Curci has announced that he will not allow ads to run on the front cover of his newspaper. “Our covers are designed to engage regular readers, and seduce new ones. We prefer to sell the stories there.” He goes on to state that “People actually read the inside of City Paper, where coincidentally, we strategically stash our advertising. And the relatively coarse texture of newsprint, not to mention its instant adhesion to saliva, make it ideal for people who like to turn pages. Oh yeah, and the editorial content is, like, really good.”

Asked about the potential revenue City Paper is turning down by keeping its covers ad-free, Curci laughs. “It’s peanuts compared to the revenue I’ve been offered to carry advertising on the hood of my car, or across the front of my house, but I’m not selling that space either.”

That said, the publisher has found a way to reconcile this advertising trend with his own stalwart standards. “As of September, City Paper will begin licensing its name for use by the makers of various products and services,” says Curci. “In other words, you can change the name of your soda, or night club or what have you, to ‘Philadelphia City Paper,’ for a reasonable fee. In return, we’ll promise to keep printing that very phrase on the front of every issue. It’s a win-win, really.”

Contact:
Paul Curci
Publisher
Philadelphia City Paper
p: 215.825.2480
f: 215.875.1820
e: paul.curci@citypaper.net