CD-ROM newspaper inserts

CyberJournalist.net points to this recent article in The New York Times (free registration required) that discusses the recent announcement by The Dallas Morning News that it will begin including CD-ROM copies of Hollywood Previews magazine within its Sunday paper.

The CD-ROM contains movie trailers, interviews, music videos and 30-second ads which include hyperlinks viewers can click to be taken to a site where they can buy merchandise. (None of the content is derived from the newspaper.) The packaging consists of a "glossy folder" resembling that of a magazine cover and the title "Hollywood Previews" and a table of contents is prominently displayed across the front. The insert will debut in the April 30th issue and thereafter, will be included in the paper on the last Sunday of each month.

Henry Williamson, the president of newspaper syndication for iMedia, which produces Hollywood Previews, explains the appeal of such inserts, saying that including a Web site address in the printed paper and hoping readers will later visit the site "is really a leap of faith. We want a captive audience, we want a tangible product."

The arrangement with The Dallas Morning News marks Hollywood Previews' "first permanent partnership with a newspaper."