Each month, I spend a lot of time in evaluating our various products. I study the paper, the web site, the commerical printing information, the revenue, expenses, stats, sales, circulation...all sorts of things.

Here are a few facts from February that I thought some readers might find interesting:

• Print circulation grew. We have been in industry-defying print circulation growth for several months and it is continuing.
• Web readership continues its strong increase and www.maconcountytimes.com continues to be the most read news web site in Macon County.
• We uploaded more stories, news and information to the web site than anyone in Macon County during the month of February and all indiciations are that we will do the same in March.
• The Macon County Times posted a profit, again, in February. What's more important is we continue to post growth over last year. Regardless of what some want to tell you, this paper is solvent and financially solid - and that means we'll be providing you news and information for years to come.

Here are just a few other little tidbits related to February.

• If you purchased the paper off the news stand - at a price of $2 for all four issues - you would have received more than $600 in coupon savings. Same for your $20 annual subscription. While some folks suggest you are better off going out of town for your groceries, these coupons can be used to greatly help local businesses and save money in the process!
• We provided 92 pages of news, features and information in print.
• We provided more "inserts" or "circulars" and more classifieds than any news media in Macon County. Companies like Walmart, Tractor Supply Company, Hometown Foods, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Gene Carmann Realty recognize the value of placing these inserts in our newspaper.
• We provided you with more opportunities for interaction than any media outlet in Macon County - letters, online comments, polls, voting "like" on stories, and Facebook comments.
• We gave you four issues of the ever-popular American Profile Magazine.

But there is more. In February:

• Our professional news staff prepared 44 local reports and stories.
• We published over 200 local photos.
• We made 17 candidate announcements for local office (and many more in January and March!)
• We published dozens of submitted items, press releases and announcements.
• We published over 200 community calendar announcements - local events that needed publicizing.
• We published a special four-page section highlighting the great work of 4-H, FCCLA and FFA.
• We were saddened to share 28 obituary notices with you and delighted to celebrate six birth announcements and nine wedding/engagement/anniversary announcements with you.
• We printed 25 letters to the editor in February - not all favorable to the Macon County Times.
• We highlighted six elementary school essay winners - and printed the winning essays in full.
• We highlighted recent graduates from the Tennessee Technology Center programs.
• We highlighted the Macon County High School Academic Top 10.
• And much more that I am not going to list out of fear you'll lose interest and stop reading!
• We published in print and online your local tv listings, and offered up four weeks of crosswords, soduku and other puzzles and fun features.
• We offered, thanks to our sponsors, a weekly devotional on our Church Page.

I don't think that's bad for a 28-day month!

Just imagine, the month of February would have cost you $2 if you picked up all four copies on the news stands, and less with a subscription. Not bad at all, eh. Given all that, I think The Macon County Times can lay claim to the title "best deal in town."