When the companies behind the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Ann Arbor News decided to shut their respective papers, they elected to keep their web sites publishing. The Rocky Mountain News did not. When E.W. Scripps closed the paper last month, it vanished entirely. But it may not be gone for long, at least in spirit. A group of more than a dozen former Rocky staffers have joined three local entrepreneurs to launch InDenverTimes.com, a partially subscription-based site aimed at Denver residents. The site will offer free news, but subscribers must pay $4.99 per year for access to the more engaging editorial content, such as reporters’ columns, live chats and multimedia options. Its organizers, Kevin Preblud, Brad Grey and Benjamin Ray, say they will need 50,000 paying subscribers by mid-April to go ahead with the launch, slated for May 4. The three say that if INDT is successful, they may consider trying the model in other cities, though that’s a big if. Consumers have been reluctant to pay for web content for years, and the recession isn’t likely to help. In the meantime, former Rocky staffers have been posting stories on a beta InDenverTimes and Iwantmyrocky.com, a site started last year when Scripps announced that the Rocky was for sale. Kevin Preblud, a co-founder of In Denver Times, talks to Media Life about INDT’s business model, its future plans, and how it will compete with the Denver Post.
 
When and how did you first come up with the idea for InDenverTimes.com?
 
The idea for In Denver Times was first discussed when it was announced that the Rocky Mountain News was up for sale. From there, as the news came out that there weren’t any buyers, our group became more serious about the idea.
 

What's the business model for the site?
 
The initial business model for the site is simple, we need 50,000 subscribers to officially launch the site.
 

How far along are you to getting 50,000 subscriptions? And what's your timeline on that -- when do you need to have them?

As you know, we stated that we needed to meet our goal of 50,000 subscribers by April 23. We are on our way to that number, and you will see a fairly significant viral marketing push in the next week.  We have had a wonderful initial response, and will work to build upon that momentum.
 

What will you need to achieve financially to succeed, and do you have a timeline in mind?
 
With 50,000 initial subscribers, we will have a critical mass to get off the ground. In order to ultimately succeed, we will need to build subscribers, visitors, and page views.

Lastly, we will need to reformulate the current online advertising model.
 

How do you plan to reformulate the current online ad model?

We are still working on our online ad model. While I can’t give you the details at this time, I can tell you that it will be different than most of the current models.

What sort of expansion opportunities to other cities have you discussed?
 
This concept easily replicates to other markets like Denver.

What sort of reader response have you received so far?
 
We have received overwhelming response from the former Rocky Mountain News readers.

How much of InDenverTimes.com is an extension of the Rocky Mountain News and how much of it is original ideas?
 
The only extension of the Rocky Mountain News is in the wonderful journalists that have come on board to be a part of this new endeavor. We truly believe that they represent the spirit of the Rocky and now that brand resides here.

The In Denver Times model is completely different than anything that was being done at the Rocky.
 

What sort of competition do you envision with the Denver Post and its web site?
 
We recognize that the Denver Post and their web site are competitors, however we ultimately expect to bring a different product to the Denver community.

What will be the focus of InDenverTimes? Do you perceive yourselves as an online newspaper or more of a community site?

Our focus will be targeted to the Denver area. We don’t intend to be a “community site.” Rather, we will be the No. 1 site for news, politics, education, sports, arts and entertainment for the residents and visitors of Denver.
 

Why do you think a venture such as this could succeed, whereas the RMN as a newspaper failed?
 
Our opportunity for success lies in the fact that we are not burdened by the heavy expense of producing a daily printed newspaper.