Returning to Chris O'Brien's Business Model Challenge, here are some suggested approaches and models from the perspective of an entrepreneur and strategic consultant. For a more rigorous approach I would absolutely check out Chris's recommended NewspaperNext report. That said, let's try and smash some boxes or at least poke some holes in existing ones...
1) MyPaper model: Going beyond the trend in news aggregation and self-customized news portals like NetVibes, why not think about physical papers that are delivered to your door (or on the Web/mobile device) which combine your specific preferences for local, national, and international news + features + advertisements? I would gladly pay a premium for a paper that combined what I want out of the New York Times, state/regional news, and my local hometown paper all in one.
Obviously this would take more work on the part of the subscription department in determining what I and my family want in "MyPaper", not to mention the need for sharing agreements among multiple news outlets, but it also presents a tremendous and highly targeted advertising opportunity that many advertisers would pay dearly for.
The same could be done for cable TV and Radio...going beyond a la carte selections to a single MyStation that I pay a monthly subscription for depending on the degree and type of customization. The current news presentation approach of "everyone eats off of the same plate" seems somehow antiquated and inefficient in an era of the personalization of everything.
