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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.audio,net.music,net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Audio/Music Magazines
Message-ID: <3046@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 13-Jun-84 13:29:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.3046
Posted: Wed Jun 13 13:29:53 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jun-84 01:44:58 EDT
References: <275@whuxj.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 24

Another defect of the new-style HIGH FIDELITY is the games they are
playing with reader-service "bingo" cards. They dropped the cards
when they went to the new format, and since then have brought them
back every now and then, irregularily. (It might be that they are
"test-marketing" different areas of the nationwide mailing or
newsstand distribution, but I doubt that, as they would have to
have some issues printed with the "Circle No. 55" legends on the
ads and some without; it's not just a matter of binding in the
cards or not, which would be simple.)

Anyway, I have always felt that one of the prime purposes of these
"quasi-technical" hobby magazines is to serve as a conduit of
info between the advertising manufacurers/dealers and the readership,
and having Business-Reply-Mail reader-service was the best way to
fulfill that function, in addition to the reviews and product-survey
articles. Dropping the "bingo" cards leaves a gap in what the magazines
offer to the readers in return for their subscription or newsstand
money, and the information conduit is either broken or constricted.

If you subscribe to or buy High Fidelity, and are writing to them anyway,
complain about the missing reader-service cards.  A few letters will
probably make a big difference.

Will