The Stock Asylum, an online site that has provided news and analysis of the stock photo industry for the past five years, has announced that it will discontinue operations on April 6.
Ron Rovtar, editor and publisher, says, "After much soul-searching, I have decided it is time to tackle new endeavors that will make it impossible to devote the required amount of effort to a Web site like The Stock Asylum."
Originally designed to be supported by advertising, the site was converted to a subscription-based product with an annual subscription fee of $35 in September 2007. While the information provided was always timely and outstanding, the revenue generated proved to be insufficient to sustain the product. Subscribers and advertisers will be refunded an appropriate percentage of the monies paid.
Rovtar is donating the archives of his publication to the Stock Artists Alliance, and the information will be made available on the organization's new Web site.
SAA Executive Director Betsy Reid states, "Ron Rovtar, the voice behind The Stock Asylum, has served as an invaluable resource to stock industry professionals over the past four years. We will no doubt miss Ron's intrepid reporting and keen analysis, urging photographers and distributors to think beyond the headlines and to challenge industry norms."