Desmond Reaffirms Plans To Launch London Free-Sheet
Northern & Shell chairman, Richard Desmond, has this afternoon reaffirmed his commitment to launching a free-sheet evening newspaper in London to compete directly with the Evening Standard.
Desmond told senior Northern & Shell staff earlier today that everything was in place for the newspaper’s launch and that all was required was official clearance from the Office of Fair Trading.
Desmond said: “We are waiting for a ruling from the OFT prior to launching the paper. All we’re asking for is a level playing field in this competitive environment. I look forward to a decision from the OFT regarding distribution issues. I’m looking forward to getting this paper into the hands of Londoners.”
Northern & Shell’s joint managing director, Stan Myerson, said the group had the right team in place to launch a new title. Those already on-board include senior advertising executive, Karen Newton, who joins from Associated Newspapers; Mike Orlov, the former ad director of the Evening Standard; and Christian Toksvig, who joined Express Newspapers as development manager.
Last February Desmond announced that Nick Ferrari, the former tabloid journalist and current host of LBC 97.3FM’s breakfast show, would edit the paper, which was originally due to launch in the first quarter of this year.
Myerson claims that Northern & Shell’s research with advertisers and consumers proves that strong demand existed for the paper. He said: “Our research also indicates that consumers and advertisers have a preference for distribution from dispensers in transport hubs rather than any other means of distribution. We are totally committed to deliver excellent value to readers and the advertising community.”
The announcement ends months of speculation as to whether Desmond would go ahead with the title after months of delays and legal set-backs. Last year a High Court judge scuppered his plan to call it The Evening Mail after ruling that readers could mistake it for an evening version of the Daily Mail or the Mail on Sunday (see Associated Triumphs Over Desmond In Evening Mail Dispute).
Northern & Shell: 020 7308 5090
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