This is what the
Australian Newsagents Federation put to newsagents re Fairfax:

Fairfax Direct Supply to Fitness
First

Fairfax and Fitness First
are in a ‘partnership’ which

forms part of sponsorship
arrangement for the annual

Sydney to Surf. The newspapers
provided to Fitness

First are bought copies and
distributed free of charge

to Fitness First members.

Len Jordan
did acknowledge that the failure

to communicate this roll out
was an oversight that

occurred through the
restructure of the circulation

department within Fairfax and changes in
roles over recent months.

Len has stated that
Fairfax
encourages newsagents to

participate in the paid
distribution of newspapers

to Fitness First and
welcomes newsagents engaging in

this exercise. Fairfax is not of the view
that the free availability of the newspapers through Fitness First will
cannibalise sales for affected newsagents within the vicinity of these Fitness
First gyms. Rather Fairfax believes that increased consumer
awareness has a long term positive impact on sales.

Fairfax has stated that it has seen
an improvement in circulation numbers within the vicinity of these gyms, but
that it is carefully monitoring results and if there are any negative
indications, that the program would obviously not be worth
continuing.