Justin Pearce
Argus Newspapers’ new Sunday paper, aimed at taking a bite out of The Sunday Times’ market in Gauteng, will be named the Sunday Independent and launched on June 25.
The choice of title — which has not yet been officially disclosed by the company — appears to be a first step towards a new corporate identity for Argus, which has come under fire for its virtual monopoly of the English language daily newspaper market.
Sources in the company say the group is to be renamed Independent Newspapers, to give it a common identity with companies owned by Irish magnate Tony O’Reilly elsewhere in the world.
The launch of the new paper by Argus Newspapers challenges Times Media Limited (TML) where it is strongest — in the Sunday market. The move closely follows the launch of Argus Newspapers’ national Business Report, which was explicitly marketed as a competitor to TML’s Business Day.
Last year Argus staked its claim in the Sunday market in Cape Town by launching separate Saturday and Sunday editions of Weekend Argus. The advent of the Sunday Independent indicates that the company has similar plans for Gauteng. Although the Sunday Independent will be available nationally — as the Weekend Star is at the moment — Gauteng will be the target market for both new
As from May 20, the Weekend Star will revert to being the Saturday Star, and will be relaunched with a new look. Saturday Star will retain the marketing positioning of the existing Weekend Star, while the Sunday Independent will target a more upmarket niche.
While each of the two papers will have a distinct identity, they will be produced by the same staff under the editorship of Shaun Johnson.