The Globe and Mail is Canada's national newspaper, the most prestigious newspaper in Canada. The circulation to readers is essential to attract the advertisers. To advertisers, not all readers are alike.
Most advertisers prefer middle class city dwellers to rural blue collar subscribers.
To increase its advertising revenue, therefore, which was the lifeblood of the paper, The Globe and Mail had to increase the number of middle class urban subscribers. Early in the 1980's the circulation department fell into a trap. They couldn't advertise this discount, or their regular subscribers would feel like chumps and stop paying full price. The deal had to be made under the table. The scheme worked.