iPad revolution

Apple's new iPad tablet computer will be slow to invade the CR, but once it arrives, it will become part of an emerging battle over news content. Like in other countries, Czech publishers are reevaluating their policy of giving away news on the internet. The iPad could provide a breakthrough solution for selling an easy-to-use e-version of popular publications. For newspapers to survive, paid content needs to become king again. Best positioned in the CR to take advantage of this shift will likely be HN business newspaper, followed by LN. HN has the best overall content but will have to fight off feisty LN for many of the same non-business readers. A few years ago MFD made up about two-thirds of the news we covered in our paid e-product, the Fleet Sheet. Today, HN accounts for two-thirds, and there are days when we have trouble finding anything of note in MFD. Although MFD will remain popular with average readers, its magazine-like style isn't likely to be the winning model if the iPad revolution occurs as expected. [Czech Republic Hospodářské noviny Lidové noviny MF Dnes printing publishing]