FDN NEWSLETTER NO. 28 – www.newspaperinnovation.com - 770 subscribers – September 2007 Israel Seoul London Germany Denmark Second free daily launches, Eight free dailies One year after Cologne freebie From 9 to 4 titles two more expected (p. 1) in one city (p.1) freebie war (p.2) war drags on (p.3) within one year (p. 3) Market Shares Europe 2006 contract that would secure distribution in most Egged bus stations. Complicating fact, however, is that Israeli also n 2006 the market share of free dailies in Europe grew has a contract with Egged. to 22 percent, from 14 percent in 2005. In 15 countries the share of free dailies is above 20 percent. Paid Two more papers are planned. The project by David I Wiessman (Blue Square supermarket chain and the Dor circulation in Europe dropped from 87 to 86 million; free circulation went up from 15 to 26 million. Alon energy group) and Eli Azur (owner of The Jerusalem Post) is called Metro and will have a circulation of 250,000. It will be published in the afternoon. The free daily from publisher Arnon Mozes (Yedioth Ahronoth) will have a circulation of 300,000. It is planned to be a print edition of Ynet, the online news website by Yedioth Ahronoth. ‘Exposure’ (readership) of Israeli has risen from 11.4% in 2006 to 12.3% in 2007. Yediot Ahronot’s exposure dropped from 39.3% to 39.6%. (TGI) Publishing a daily in Israel, is more about political influence than about money - except that you need money to publish one. Israeli (2006) is “relatively right-wing Zionist” and leaning to the Likud Party. Israel Today owner Sheldon Adelson has the same political affiliations, he is close to Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu. According to Haaretz “it is a newspaper with an agenda”, Netanyahu’s agenda that is. Adelson visited the office in Tel Aviv to explain the policy of the paper. So much for editorial independence. (Globes, Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Arutz Sheva, Poynter Tidbits) Seoul: eight free dailies The 8th free daily in Seoul, launched in July 2007 is IlIlKyungJe, meaning the Daily Economic. Circulation is 100,000. The 7th free daily was evening paper The City, launched in May 2007. In November 2006 a 6th free daily was launched: the Daily NoCutNews (right), by CBS (Christian Broadcasting System). Also Metro, Daily Focus, Sports Hankook, AM7 and Daily Zoom are published in Seoul. New Colorado free daily FDN - BAROMETER Colorado, the state with the highest number of free dailies The FDN barometer measures free dailies and circulation, in the US, got a new free daily. Swift Newspapers, already comparing 2005 with August 2007. operating free dailies in six other markets, has launched The Northern Colorado Tribune, to cover Greeley, Free Dailies 2005 / August 2007 (circ. * 1000) Loveland and Fort Collins (north of Denver). The paper Countries Titles Circulation will print seven days a week, is home delivered and will 2005 2007 2005 2007 2005 2007 be available in racks as well. Swift also publishes paid Europe 24 29 80 128 15.291 26.999 Greeley Tribune and is also launching two and three America’s 8 9 44 63 4.439 6.446 Asia/Pac/Afr 7 13 16 31 4.224 7.185 days-a-week free papers in this area. (Free-Daily.com) Total 39 51 140 222 23.954 40.630 Free weekly Giro SP in Brasil Free weeklies have been around for a long time and in LAUNCHES amazing quantities. Some of them, however, have a distinct ‘daily’ look & feel. Sao Paolo free weekly Giro SP Israel Today has something else that makes it stand out from the On July 30, Israel Today (Yisrael Hayom) was launched. crowd: it is not targeted at high income groups. On the The paper had a circulation of 150,000, aimed to grow to contrary, Giro SP is meant for lower income readers. 300,000. The distribution is through public transport and Apart from Giro, also three free dailies: MetroNews, by home delivery (in Tel Aviv). Israel Today signed a Destak and Metro, are published in Sao Paolo. FDN Newsletter no. 27 - September 2007 – page 1 of 5 PLANS London battlefield - one year later One year ago, on August 30, 2006, London saw the 20 Minutes to cross the ocean? conversion of the Standard Lite to London Lite. Circulation According to a Brazilian source, the Norwegians are was increased to 400,000. September 4, News about to discover Southern America. After Portguese International launched thelondonpaper with a circulation publisher Cofina launched Destak and Metro International of 425,000. Lite’s circulation is still around 400,000 while started an edition in Sao Paulo, Schibsted is said to be Murdoch’s free daily increased circulation to 500,000. The thinking about a free daily too. Schibsted seems to be Evening Standard survived, but not without bruises. talking with local partners (foreign investors can only have a minority interest) and advertising agencies. The Although there is not much evidence worldwide of publisher already has some operations in Latin America, substitution - except Iceland and perhaps Denmark - mainly as a result of the buying of the Trader website. London might be different. In the UK substitution is not very obvious as the graph (circulation x 1000) shows. New Swiss free newspaper - again According to the Persoenlich newsletter three Swiss publishers Basler Zeitung Medien, Tamedia and Espace Medien will launch a home delivered free morning daily in Basel, Bern and Zürich. This is meant to counter .ch that will launch September 19. The name is not yet revealed although the project was called Tagi in the beginning. .ch will take an adventurous step to increase its credibility. Every week an outsider will be invited to write a ‘newspaper review’ about .ch. (Persoenlich) Sixth free daily for Portugal Circulation already dropped before free papers were Controlinveste (Diario de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias) will introduced while it remained stable in the first free-daily launch free daily Global Notícias in September. The paper years (1999 - 2002). In 2003 paid circulation dropped will have a circulation of 150,000 and will be available in again although there was no increase in free circulation. Lisbon first, by home delivery and in public places. A The drop in paid circulation in 2006 could be attributed Porto edition is expected in 2008. Hugo Correia Pires, partly to the increase of free dailies although these dailies administrator of the group, said that he hopes that readers were only available in the last four months of that year. will eventually move to a paid daily later. (Publicitas) Leading tabloid The Sun lost 25% since 1995, down to 3 The new paper will be the 6th free daily in Portugal after million in 2006. Also the Mirror and Express lost, in all Destak (2004), Metro (2005), OJE (2006), Diário cases the decrease begun before the introduction of free Desportivo and Meia Hora (both 2007). Total free dailies. The Daily Record lost a third of its circulation in circulation is more than 550,000. Total paid circulation in the last 8 years. The Daily Mail remained stable while the 2006 was 620,000 meaning that with the new title there Star gained some circulation. Did the Evening Standard will be more free than paid circulation. Transferring suffer more than other papers? It lost 30% circulation readers from free to paid, however, has never been between 1999 and 2006, but dropped 10% since August shown in the - so far short - history of free dailies. 2006. A substantial part of this drop can be attributed to the London paper war. But circulation problems of the Tamedia targets Luxemburg Standard begun before this war - the battle might have increased the problems but it did not cause them. Swiss Tamedia - publisher of 20 Minuten - wants to expand to Luxemburg. Together with local publisher But why is News International Editpresse (Das Tageblatt) the free daily L’Essentiel will interested in the afternoon launch before the end of the year. Total paid circulation in market, as the Standard has Luxemburg is no more than 114,000 - but more than been losing money for years? 100,000 is in German, which means that if L’Essentiel is With the Sun dominating the published in French, this is a very small market. morning market, they are not too eager to launch a Metro CIRCULATION & READERSHIP competitor that could hurt the Sun too. Apart from a personal Metro UK expands to 1.35 million interest of Murdoch, it could be With an increase from 1.1 to 1.35 million, Metro UK will that News International thinks strenghten its position as the free daily with the highest that the London afternoon circulation in one country worldwide. The rise will take market is profitable but that The Evening Standard is place in September. In Scottland distribution will increase doing a lousy job. News International seems confident with 8,000 to 10,000 - to be distributed in new areas like about the evening market, as it is thinking about launching Dundee and Perth while also Glasgow Airport will be thelondonpaper concept in other markets too. But even if covered. In London circulation will rise from 550,000 to that’s true, this market is probably not big enough for one 760,000. (Sunday Herald) paid and two free ones. And how long will Associated support two titles that are both losing money? Czech readership data Metro is the 5th best read paper in the Czech Republic More free MEN than paid for with 341,000 readers in the first half year of 2007 - in the Paid circulation of the Manchester Evening News has last 6 months of 2006 the paper had 319,000 readers.