Almost a year to the day after dropping its daily print edition The Christian Science Monitor is taking the high-end of paid subscription business models, using online video as the wedge. Today it announced a new partnership with FORA.tv to debut online videos of the weekly Monitor Breakfast, a 44-year-old tradition that brings Washington newsmakers together with top journalists.
Same-day highlights of The Monitor Breakfasts, are available free on CSM as well as at Fora.TV. Full-length videos of each Breakfast can be viewed for $14.95 monthly or $99.95 annually. Advertising sponsorship opportunities consist of pre-roll video within the videocasts on both Web sites and standard ad units on the video page of the Monitor Web site.
“We are committed to explaining the news and foreshadowing what’s next,” said John Yemma, Editor of The CSM. “Online video of Monitor Breakfasts opens access to actual news-making conversations for a wider population of influential people in business, government and media.”
For 44 years, Monitor Breakfasts have been the source of defining and dramatic news stories. For instance, in 1991, then-Governor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, came to Breakfast to discuss their marital problems for the first time. And in 1995, Speaker Newt Gingrich complained about being made to exit through the rear of Air Force One while on a presidential trip. Some say his Breakfast comments helped trigger the subsequent government shutdown.
In all, four presidents, five vice presidents, and thousands of Beltway power players have been guests at Monitor Breakfasts. At the first event in 1966, Illinois Senator Charles Percy tipped off reporters to his Presidential run. Recent guests have included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Democratic strategist James Carville, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Postmaster General John Potter.
“The Christian Science Monitor is now at the forefront of online video in terms of selling subscriptions, pushing distribution across multiple platforms, and promoting this one-of-a-kind a weekly event,” said Blaise Zerega, CEO of FORA.tv. “The Monitor Breakfast is the type of gathering that online video can bring from the confines of a meeting room to a worldwide audience without losing its intimacy or immediacy.”
The Monitor Breakfasts going online represents the latest in resurgence for The Christian Science Monitor. After its April 2009 frequency and format change it has added a Daily News Briefing, E-mail newsletters, e-reader editions, and more. Its weekly magazine circulation has grown by more than 75% (to 77,000), while monthly website traffic has more than doubled (to 14 million page views).
