Desmond Delays Plans To Launch London Free-Sheet

Richard Desmond is understood to have been forced to delay his plans to launch a free-sheet newspaper in London until February next year.

Reports suggest that Desmond’s Express Newspapers is awaiting the outcome of a Government investigation into the owner of the Metro morning freesheet before its starts work on the launch of the title.

The Office of Fair Trading is examining whether Associated Newspapers is guilty of anti-competitive behaviour by agreeing exclusive contracts to distribute the Metro in London rail and underground stations.

Desmond’s rival Express Newspapers is believed to have prepared three business models depending on the outcome of the enquiry. The group would ideally like to distribute the planned free-sheet from boxes in stations, but has considered a number of alternative options.

According to the Guardian, the new title is likely to resemble a lighter version of the Evening Standard with a mix of up beat stories affecting Londoners. It is also expected to contain pages of celebrity and entertainment news.

Desmond had planed call the new title The Evening Mail, but a high court judge ruled 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).

Associated Newspapers is considering a range of options to counteract the threat posed by the new free-sheet and is understood to be pondering the launch of its own free evening newspaper, or bringing out an evening version of the Metro (see Metro Could Expand To Counter Threat From Desmond).

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