Belfast Telegraph Downsizes To Compact

Independent News and Media is to launch a compact edition of The Belfast Telegraph, fuelling industry speculation that the publication will eventually abandon its broadsheet format.

The compact issue will be available to readers from morning until lunchtime, at which time the traditional broadsheet will be sold.

Supplements across all sections of the paper, including Business, Public Sector Jobfinder and Homefinder will be switched to the new format. Friday’s Jobfinder segment, however, will not be down-sized.

Earlier this week, Independent News and Media released an upbeat trading statement revealing a 22.8% increase in operating profit to a record €285.7 million, up from €232.6 million in 2003, driven by strong advertising and circulation growth (see Independent News & Media Reports Rise In Profit).

The group’s UK sector recorded revenue of €201.9 million, an 8.7% increase on continuing operations, reflecting a good performance from The Belfast Telegraph and benefiting from the additional circulation revenues provided by The Independent.

Elsewhere, the Guardian Media Group has announced the launch of a Lite version of the Manchester Evening News to be distributed free on the city centre from March 21 (see Manchester Evening News To Launch Lite Edition).

The free version of the newspaper will be aimed at commuters who typically do not buy a newspaper as they leave Manchester in the evening. It will contain a mixture of news, lifestyle features and entertainment.

The Belfast Telegraph: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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