The Independent launches a mobile site

The Independent has launched a new mobile site in a bid to keep up with the increasing growth of the mobile internet, extend its reach and generate new revenue streams.

The Independent hopes the new site, which is being built by Bluestar Mobile, will attract new readers and help it compete with its rival titles.

Bill Swanson, digital managing director at The Independent, said launching a mobile site has become vital for newspaper publishers.

“The growth of the internet has invoked an enormous change in the world of publishing and now the ubiquity of mobile devices and the evolution of the commercial model surrounding them has finally made the medium a viable one for publishers,” he said.

News International, Trinity Mirror and the Telegraph Media Group have all recently launched mobile sites.

The Independent has struggled in recent months and has seems to have been badly hit by the ongoing economic downturn.

In the latest ABC release, the title reported the largest circulation percentage decline in the overall daily newspaper market after shedding 36,000 copies (down 15% year on year) (see ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: May 2009).

Last week, Independent owner INM was forced to agree an extension to its ‘standstill’ credit agreement after bondholders rejected the latest offer from the publishing group (see Independent owner extends credit deal).

The Irish-owned publishing group reported a full-year pre-tax loss of €161.4 million for 2008.