Millivres In The Pink With Compact Relaunch

Gay and lesbian publisher Millivres Prowler Group will relaunch the Pink Paper next month, overhauling Britain’s only free paper for the gay community and reducing the title’s size to create the first gay and lesbian compact newspaper.

The Pink Paper was rescued from closure last year, when Millivres Prowler swooped in to save the title from former owners PP&B. The title joined Millivres’ portfolio, which includes Diva and Gay Times, in October and was back on the streets as early as 5 November (see Millivres Prowler Rescues Pink Paper From The Pulp).

However, the impending relaunch will deliver on Millivres’ promise to overhaul the title with “major, long term investment”, re-launching with a number of “radical” improvements. The title will continue to be edited by Tris Reid-Smith, with an initial print run of 40,000 copies each fortnight. Millivres also has plans to publish the paper weekly.

Commenting on the decision to rescue the title in October, Simon Topham, managing director of Millivres, said: “We intend to invest time and resources into making the Pink Paper a great publication again. MPG is committed to high standards of independent gay and lesbian journalism and the Pink Paper will open an important new business for us, in the free distribution market.”

The Pink Paper is currently distributed free in 500 venues around the country, with its latest verified distribution figure showing a total of 39,861 in June 2000.

The relaunch could provide the Pink Paper with a welcome boost, as well as enabling Millivres to make its own mark on the title. However, even with increased investment, the new-look paper will face competition from free monthly title Bent, which underwent its own relaunch in November last year.

The rival paid-for monthly now features increased content from new writers and former Observer assistant editor, Ben Summerskill, as well as claiming a higher circulation than the Pink Paper, up to 50,453 in the six months to September 2004. The title also distributes via gay venues, currently available in more than 400 clubs.

Millivres Prowler Group: 020 7424 7400 www.millivres.co.uk/mpg/

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