UK: Following in the footsteps of the London Evening Standard and the Financial Times, The Guardian newspaper is looking at the possibility of launching a evening freesheet in London, after registering its interest in bidding for the upcoming London Underground distribution contract.
A Guardian spokeswoman is remaining tight-lipped however, saying: “We have registered our interest but it doesn’t mean we will bid. We have yet to take a view on it.”
The Guardian is also currently working on a change in format, from broadsheet to the tabloid-style Berliner format, expected to launch this (UK) autumn.
In December 2004, Associated Newspapers launched a free edition of the London Evening Standard, called Standard Lite and recently, the Financial Times announced plans to distribute a free evening paper called FTpm, which will also be available online later this month.
Express Newspapers has also been working on a concept called London-I for the past two years, while NewsGroup Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, is also believed to be interested in the opportunity.
