Global media baron Rupert Murdoch is to launch a free London evening newspaper, to be called thelondonpaper, on September 18, his News International publishing group announced on Monday.
The paper will break the monopoly on London evening titles held since 1980 by the Evening Standard, published by Associated Newspapers, the British press group that also owns the mass-circulation Daily Mail.
Media analysts say the Evening Standard — which sells 310 000 copies from Monday to Friday — could be forced into becoming a free sheet, at least in the city centre, to cope with the competition from Murdoch’s new title.
With a projected print run of 400 000 copies, thelondonpaper will have 48 full-colour pages and be distributed in central London from 4.30pm, when the afternoon rush hour begins.
The British capital already has three free newspapers.
Metro, launched in 1999 by Associated Newspapers, prints 550 000 copies per day and is available at railway and Underground train stations.
City AM, launched in September 2005, is the first free business daily, while Standard Lite, which debuted in late 2004, is a slimmed-down version of the Evening Standard‘s first edition, available at lunchtime in selected areas.
Murdoch’s thelondonpaper is the first new title to be launched by his News International group, which owns The Sun and The Times and their Sunday sister newspapers, News of the World and the Sunday Times. — Sapa-AFP