Desmond Ponders Relaunching Express As Free-Sheet
Richard Desmond is understood to be considering radical plans to relaunch the Daily Express as a national free-sheet, in an attempt to boost flagging circulation figures.
Reports suggest the chairman of Express Newspapers has asked Christian Toksvig, the company’s international operations director and expert on the free-sheet market, to investigate the viability of the move.
The Daily Express has seen circulation decline steadily over the last ten years and the latest ABC results for September reveal a sharp 5.6% year on year drop for the title to 960,320. The compares to a circulation of almost 2.5 million for its closest mid-market rival, the Daily Mail.
Sources suggest that move could lead to editorial resources being cut back to compensate for the loss of coverprice revenue, which currently stands at around £350,000 a day. Toksvig has already approached senior figures with free-sheet experience about possibly joining the Express, but no final decision has been taken.
Express Newspapers has been developing a London free-sheet since the beginning of last year and has reportedly registered the name London i as the title for the paper. All the major commercial players are in place and the project is ready to launch following the outcome of an OFT investigation into an exclusive distribution deal between Metro-owner Associated Newspapers and London Underground (see Desmond Eyes New Name For Planned London Free-Sheet).
Rival Associated Newspapers is also believed to be considering plans to launch a free lunchtime version of the Evening Standard in a bid to strengthen its position in the capital ahead of the arrival of Desmond’s new title. Reports suggest that the so-called Standard Lite will launch in November with fewer pages than the paid-for edition (see Standard Considers Launching Afternoon Free-Sheet).
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