The News Media Alliance and National Newspaper Association filed Comments with the Postal Regulatory Commission about its proposed modifications to its performance measurement systems.
On September 15, the United States Postal Service (USPS) filed a “Schedule and Predictable Rate Changes.”
On August 24, the DC Circuit denied a petition by the News Media Alliance, the National Newspaper Association, and others to delay the increase in postage rates.
USPS just announced proposed postal rate increases that, in some cases, are seven times the rate of inflation. Here are the proposed rates that pertain to newspapers.
Congress is working to improve the financial condition of the Postal Service, which mailers hope will ease pressure on USPS and reduce the need to squeeze revenues from monopoly mailers.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s new ten-year strategic plan for the Postal Service, “Delivering for America,” will impact all users of the postal system, with clear and potentially serious implications for newspaper publishers that rely on the postal system for newspaper delivery.
The News Media Alliance and the National Newspaper Association have joined a legal challenge of an order by the Postal Regulatory Commission that would effectively eliminate a Congressionally-mandated limit on postal rate increases for Periodicals and Marketing Mail.
On November 30, the Postal Regulatory Commission approved a rule, establishing a new rate-setting system that eliminates the previously implemented cap on postage rates which could harm newspapers and ultimately weaken the nation’s postal system.
On October 9, the United States Postal Service announced rate changes for Marketing Mail and for Periodicals mail.
Currently, USPS can raise or lower rates for products such as Periodicals and Marketing Mail (e.g. TMC products) on an annual basis, with smaller, predictable rate increases that do not exceed the inflation-based price cap. But this pricing structure that brought newspapers predictable pricing could be in jeopardy if a new rate-setting system is approved.
