This advertisement appeared in ‘The Australian’ today (writes Peter Coleman).

I mention it not because of its modest size or that it represents a Melbourne bags-and-shoes retailer to the audience of the paper’s Queensland audience. But because it is the only inside-page display ad in the 28-page broadsheet.

That sort of solus exclusivity is usually worth a premium but, with the exception of a front-page banner for Victoria’s Basement (three Sydney locations) and a smattering of house ads and co-promotions, there’s no suggestion that it was intended as the only display space in the paper.

What’s special about the Oz? My copy of the ‘Courier-Mail’ for this public holiday was certainly better endowed, and even yesterday’s issue of the News Limited flagship daily had a sale ad or two. Amid the changes at the top – the chief executive of The Australian now heads Foxtel, his predecessor having moved to the top job at News – did someone at the Oz forget they were coming out today?

A couple of weeks ago I was wondering whether they had forgotten they had a print edition at all.

The GXpress office has taken a regular copy for years, lately collecting it from the village shop, but following a recent tablet acquisition, signed on online for the much-promoted digital pass at a ‘special’ print-and-digital package rate of $7.95 a week delivered.

That’s a couple of dollars more than their offer for a print-only subscription, but it sounded good compared to the cover price we’d been paying. Until News Limited rang from Adelaide to say, sorry, but we can’t do that.

You see, the GXpress office isn’t in a newsagent delivery area. You guessed, that’s why we had been collecting it from the shop, but no problem, we’re happy to go on collecting it… and for News to keep the change.

Happily, you might think, the young lady rang a few hours before the deadline on the ‘digital-only’ free offer was due to expire that night.

I was going to find someone with whom to remonstrate about the print offer, but found instead, an email from Subscriptions in Brisbane, responding a few months back in the affirmative to the “can I have a subscription even though you can’t deliver” question. And yes, they can give me a special offer on the ‘Australian’ print edition… but can’t offer the digital pass.

Buoyed by the relative positivity, we even added the ‘Courier-Mail’ to the subscription, replacing our six-day shop order for the ‘Courier-Mail’ into a seven-day order because, logically, seven papers are a few dollars cheaper than six.

In a few weeks time, I shall no doubt be confronted with a decision… whether to pay for the digital pass… or go on with the print edition. An either-or choice I wouldn’t have made (and still wouldn’t make) if someone was to give the Adelaide computer system a stern talking to.

Just tell it from me, that’s no way to sell papers. And perhaps selling a few more ads might be a good idea as well.

Does anyone care? I shall know when I’m able to report that placing a print-and-digital order doesn’t depend on delivery.

• Incidentally, unlike the APN rival, the News-owned ‘Noosa Journal’ doesn’t find its way to the village either, even though it is part of the same council area and, of course, News delivers to the newsagent. I’ve tried pointing that out as well, but await the courtesy of a reply. After a while you tend to just let them get on with it.