The days when the news-stands were full of broadsheets are distant memories, and for millions of readers quality tabloids have become a daily fact of life. But, as the recent row over The Times' changes to its advertising grid and subsequent price hikes has shown, the commercial side has not quite caught up with editorial.
The Times has outraged some media agencies and clients with its change to a seven-column grid, which could entail price rises of up to 17% for full and half-page ads. Its behaviour mirrors that of The Independent two years ago - and it faces similar anger from its customers.
The Independent arguably provoked more outrage, because it was the first to do it - and perhaps also because, as a small player, buyers were affronted by its chutzpah.
"The Indy backed down bloody fast," remembers one agency head of press. "Being the smallest player, it was not going to make any difference [to the client] if it was removed from a schedule, so it had to fall into line quite quickly. The Times is in a stronger position, but it has to make a decision on how long it can hold its line."
Market reaction
Yet The Times may have benefited from The Independent's bold line, suggests Paul Thomas, press director at MindShare, because the market has adapted once before and will find it easier to adapt again.
"Had it been the first paper to do it, everyone would have said 'Oh my God, no'," he says. "This time around, there was a reaction, but because the market has seen it before, it just gets on with it."
Yet newspapers are facing unprecedented competition from other media and several of the buyers that spoke to Media Week suggested The Times, and other titles, would do better to focus on fighting the advertising exodus to online rather than quibbling about column changes.
But The Times, like The Indy before it, could argue that it is simply aligning its charging system with those titles that have been tabloids since time immemorial - it could be seen as a natural "coming of age", creating time and cost savings in standardisation.
In fact, many industry observers questioned why The Times did not operate a seven-column grid when it first went tabloid.
No doubt there are beleaguered bosses at Wapping asking themselves the same question today. The company declined to comment for this analysis, but reports from agencies suggest it is negotiating furiously and weathering the storm.
It would be naive to suggest that The Times is not testing the market with its latest move - "it is seeing if it can make a little bit more money", observes one buyer currently in negotiations with the title. "But at the end of the day, the market dictates what the rates are going to be," he adds.
For Alan Brydon, head of press at MPG, there is no room for emotions. The Times, like its rivals, will be judged on cost efficiency.
"If it remains cost efficient, it will get our business. If it doesn't, it won't," he says, although he adds that MPG will probably be booking fewer half-page and strip ads with the title.
Brydon points out that reaction to the other element of the changes - that fractional ads will be proportionately smaller, with a 25x4 now taking up 42% of the page compared to the former 47% - has been muted. This could be because media agencies are not audited on impact, he suggests, but on cost.
Tough line
Other press directors have taken a tougher line, pulling spend out of the title and having some full and frank discussions with The Times' head of trading, Dominic Carter, and his team.
No doubt The Times will have to make concessions, but as Carter pointed out in a letter to Media Week, published last week, it remains the title of note for "business people and high-earning, intelligent consumers resident in the UK".
While the headlines evoked by this row would sit well in its red-top cousins, they are unlikely to affect The Times' long-term business AD GRID FACTS
The Times - 7-column grid
The Independent - 7-column grid
Financial Times - 8-column grid
The Daily Telegraph - 8-column grid
The Guardian - 10-column grid
The Sun - 7-column grid
Daily Mirror - 7-column grid
Daily Mail - 7-column grid
Daily Express - 7-column grid.