The inflation calculator you're using in your post doesn't factor in that in 1990 papers were made physically to all of their customers, delivered by numerous paper folks, maintenance personnel who fixed the machines, sales people who made dial up calls, managers who oversaw these employees, parking lot plowing in winter for them, janitors to perform their tasks to clean up after people etc...
Your calculator is accurate, but doesn't calculate how few people it takes to charge the same inflated $ for an inferior paper that was once great or the # of people that don't have jobs due to technology.
A companies fee is only what people are willing to pay for it's service. That's the moral of all these posts complaining about the rate hike. Sneaky billing, AD Choking, $1 for new subscribers, screwing the long timers...