Houston Chronicle Media Group launches HoustonChronicle.com, a premium subscription-based website

HOUSTON, Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Houston Chronicle Media Group (HCMG) has launched HoustonChronicle.com, a premium news website available by subscription. Chron.com, the media company's flagship digital product and Houston's most-read local news site, remains free.

The launch of HoustonChronicle.com aligns with the HCMG's strategy of offering a wide range of digital products to a variety of readers via their choice of platforms. HoustonChronicle.com is a premium news website, offering deep analysis of issues that matter most to Houstonians, expanding upon exclusive coverage found in the company's 111-year-old Houston Chronicle, the largest newspaper in Texas.

HoustonChronicle.com subscribers have access to updated coverage throughout the day, unique stories and photos, enterprise reporting, and opinions from award-winning columnists, including all stories from the daily paper. The site is built in HTML5 and features a responsive design that renders across a variety of platforms, from personal computers to tablets to mobile phones. Users seeking content that resides on Chron.com will find links directing back and forth between the sites.

"Our primary goal is to deliver to all of our subscribers the valuable information they want, when they want it, via the device that is most convenient to them, and at a fair price," HCMG president John T. O'Loughlin said. "As a premium website, HoustonChronicle.com is a natural extension of our digital offerings and will be an integral component of all our subscription packages going forward."

As the portal to all things Houston, Chron.com continues to focus on breaking stories and news-you-can-use, including real-time sports coverage, weather and traffic information, pop culture items and utility such as events listings and city guides.

HoustonChronicle.com is a cornerstone of HCMG's new Star Access membership program. In addition to access to the premium website, Star Access offers members entry into unique experiences, exclusive events and special sweepstakes.

Star Access memberships begin at $9.95 per month and include access to HoustonChronicle.com, the iPad edition, and the daily eEdition, a digital version of the newspaper. Subscribers of any print or digital products in the portfolio who already pay that amount or more are eligible for Star Access at no extra charge.

Contact:
Nicki Britton | Houston Chronicle | 713-362-7486 / 713-504-1207 | [email protected]

About Houston Chronicle

The Houston Chronicle, the largest newspaper in Texas with the nation's second-highest Sunday total average circulation, has evolved into a multi-media company publishing online and commercial print products, in English and Spanish, reaching specific audiences with unique delivery programs. In addition to the Houston Chronicle's 943,000 daily readers and 1.6 million readers on Sunday, Chron.com, the Chronicle's online site, averages nearly 85 million page views and 12 million unique visitors each month. The Houston Chronicle is owned by the Hearst Corporation. Follow the Chronicle on Twitter at @Houstonchron.

SOURCE Houston Chronicle