The publisher has cut delivery to hotels, airport lounges and universities in an attempt to develop an income derived mainly from subscriptions, but said it was too early to tell what FEER's optimum print run should be.
About 1,500 readers cancelled their subscriptions following the demise of FEER as a newsweekly, though this loss has been compensated by 500 new buyers. "The results have been very encouraging," said FEER's managing director, Winnie Wong. "The success of the new acquisitions speaks for itself."
Media analysts, however, questioned whether the new look would succeed today. "The first impression is that it's quite old-fashioned," remarked Tess Caven, managing partner at MEC WCSS. "It may appeal to older, die-hard FEER readers, but it looks quite daunting." The title has been redesigned to reflect its switch in editorial emphasis from journalism to commentary by opinion leaders, academics and politicians, with limited ad positions only available at the beginning and end of the publication.