Some publishers use niche sites as stepping stones to larger Web presences. Last October, for example, The New York Times launched a site covering the Pope's U.S. tour before rolling out its full service. Others, including the St. Petersburg Times, develop short-term sites for such events as traveling art exhibits. But publishers now find niches so enticing that they make their sites permanent fixtures that may even supplant on-line coverage of local news. While scores of overlapping news sources crowd the Web, and more appear daily, many niches remain up for grabs.
Niches also attract national advertisers who often prefer segmented audiences to broad ones.
The business model for most niche services remains embryonic. Virtually all remain free to Web surfers. Newspaper managers only now woo advertisers, though some boast such auspicious backers as Valvoline, a sponsor of Indianpolis' auto-racing site. But for many, the priority remains developing the services. By keeping the staff tight and keeping our reach within reason, we can reach the path to profitability sooner.