Independent Ditches Broadsheet Edition In Some Areas
The Independent has completely ditched its broadsheet edition in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and South-West England, in a move that many believe brings it a step closer to becoming fully tabloid.
Reports suggest the four areas have been chosen as a test ground for a tabloid-only paper because they are parts of the country where sales of the Independent are low and where there are problems securing extra printing capacity.
The move follows the introduction of a tabloid-only format on Saturdays and increases speculation that the Independent is planning to abandon its broadsheet format altogether to avoid the high cost of bringing out dual editions.
The tabloid edition of the Independent is currently available between Monday and Friday alongside the existing broadsheet version. However, only the scaled-down version is available on Saturdays (see Independent Prepares To Launch Tabloid Trial Version).
The compact format was initially intended to appeal to commuters within the M25 region looking for an upmarket read in a smaller format. However, the launch proved so successful that the compact edition was quickly extended to the rest of the country.
The decision appears to have proved successful and the latest ABC figures for the six months to December show the title saw its circulation increase by 2.1% year on year to 227,741, up from 223,090 in the same period the previous year.
News International was quick to follow in the Independent‘s footsteps with the launch of its own compact version at the end of November. It also recently unveiled plans to extend the availability of its tabloid version in a move that will take its total print run to over 250,000 (see Times Announces Launch Of Tabloid Edition In London).
A number of other broadsheets have been considering tabloid launches for some time and the Independent‘s latest move looks set to encourage the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian to follow suit with their own scaled-down editions.
Independent: 020 7005 2000 www.independent.co.uk
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