David,
I can only answer based on how we do business. When DECOR made the decision to go from paid to controlled (free), it was financial. As unlikely as it seems, it began to cost more to solicit people to pay for the magazine than we were bringing in. Offering the magazine for free makes the decision to subscribe to DECOR much easier, therefore we don't have to spend as much promoting, reminding and billing.
However, as has been pointed out already, we're trading the money we used to get for a subscription for information. That is, instead of paying for DECOR, we now ask a subscriber to complete an application that gives us some solid demographic information on our readers--and it allows us to show advertisers that the people who are getting DECOR have actually asked to receive it. Otherwise, as has been noted, too, you end up with a magazine that goes to a large amount of people who don't really want it and aren't reading it. No value to the magazine or the advertiser.
My only guess as to why you've had problems with some of the other magazines is that they're trying to artificially keep their circulation high. It's a dangerous game, and one that's likely to backfire.
For DECOR, our goal is to renew every subscriber's subscription every year. That way, the list remains clean, up to date and accurate.
As always, Dermot, you hurt me to the quick! But oh well!
John