Times Announces Launch Of Tabloid Edition In London
The Times has announced plans to follow in The Independent‘s footsteps with the launch of a tabloid edition in the London metropolitan area next Wednesday.
The new ‘compact’ version of the title will sell alongside the existing broadsheet newspaper for 50p, following the same pattern as The Independent, which initially launched its tabloid version in the M25 area alone (see Independent Prepares To Launch Tabloid Trial Version).
Commenting on the initiative, Robert Thomson, editor of The Times, said: “The compact Times will offer readers a dynamic and compelling read in a format that fits their lives, whether for those commuting on the underground or for those who will sometimes want another format other than the wonderful expanse of a broadsheet.”
Clive Milner, managing director of Times Newspapers Limited, added: “The compact Times is yet another example of the willingness of TNL to invest in our products and will give our readers more choice and our advertisers more value.”
The move has been warmly received by media buyers at a time when the circulation of broadsheet titles is in gradual decline.
Nik Vyas, associated director of press at ZenithOptimedia, said: “Anything that lifts circulation and gives agencies and advertisers access to more people is good news. The Independent‘s venture has clearly been a success and commuters like the format. We welcome the choice that readers are about to be given and hope this will increase their frequency of purchase which will have a positive effect on overall circulations.”
Other broadsheets are thought to have been considering tabloid launches for some time and this latest move looks set to encourage The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph to follow suit with their own scaled-down editions.
Vyas added: “The other broadsheets will certainly be looking seriously at the potential for launching their own tabloid versions although the Telegraph probably have more pressing issues which will be occupying their minds. The Independent‘s success has let the genie out of the bottle, I’m just surprised this wasn’t done years ago.”
The Independent claims to have boosted sales significantly in the areas where its tabloid is sold and The Times appears likely to extend the smaller format to other parts of the country if its trial in London proves successful (see ABC National Newspaper Round-Up October 2003).
The latest ABC figures for the six months to October 2003 show that The Times has seen its circulation decline by 8.6% year on year to 632,533, in line with the wider malaise of the sector. However, analysis over a longer ten year period paints a more positive picture with sales more than doubling since the early nineties.
Last month Times Newspapers parted company with its group advertising director, John Trickett, who stepped down at the end of this month after five years in the job (see Times Parts Ways With Advertising Head After Shake-Up).
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