FIR Interview: Steve Pinches on the FT, tablets and mobile

tabletAn industry undergoing wholesale change is one way of characterizing the mainstream media as news organizations confront a digital future by planning and experimenting with different business models to help ensure their survival in a marketplace that bears little resemblance to the conditions of yore when it was all about print.

One media property at the heart of evolution and change is the Financial Times, owned by media conglomerate Pearson which today announced robust financial results for the past year. According to CEO Marjorie Scardino, a key element of its success in 2010 is that paid-for digital subscriptions rose 50 percent to 207,000, with digital services accounting for 40 percent of FT Group revenue, and more than 900,000 downloads of FT apps on tablets and mobile phones.

In this FIR Interview, co-host Neville Hobson talks to Steve Pinches, lead product manager for FT.com mobile products, who discusses the FT’s efforts with apps for the iPhone, iPad and, most recently, Android platforms; and offers insight into the FT’s mobile strategy and its subscription models for print and digital; and projects what’s on the FT’s horizon for further developments in the mobile space.

(Disclosure: prior to this interview, Neville Hobson received a Samsung Galaxy Tab on loan from the FT to explore their Android app.)

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About our Conversation Partner

Steve PinchesStephen Pinches was appointed lead product manager for FT.com mobile products in June 2008.  He is responsible for all mobile, audio and video products across FT.com including the FT’s iPad and iPhone apps and mobile websites.

Pinches joined the Financial Times in 2002 on the FT graduate scheme, and has since then held a series of roles in e-commerce and business development for FT.com. He holds a first class Bachelors and Masters degree in European Literature from the University of Warwick.

Connect with Steve on Twitter at @ftsteve.

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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Podsafe music - On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.

Posted by neville on 02/28 at 07:35 AM

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