In what may become a defining moment for traditional media, the legendary Associated Press has launched a landmark campaign to bring the power and reach of the traditional press to Apple’s new iPad.
The Associated Press, a New York-based news agency founded in 1846, has announced a bold initiative by offering it’s wealth of content – text, images, sound, and video – by paid subscription for users of Apple’s upcoming iPad.
The AP’s content is currently used by over 1,700 newspapers and more than 5,000 TV and radio stations and is described as their “backbone.”
The move into a paid subscription format comparable to more specialized outfits like the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times would mean heavier promotion of the Associated Press brand itself.
“For publishers, [2010] likely is the defining moment,” AP chief executive Tom Curley said at the Colorado Press Association’s annual meeting. “We must seize this opportunity to re-invigorate our business models as well as our journalism.”
The AP already offers limited access to their vast content through a free app available for iPhone users.