Evening Standard to become freesheet

[Mojo]

Just a few weeks after thelondonpaper closed down, the Evening Standard is to more than double in circulation and become available free of charge.

From BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8286660.stm

I'd also wonder whether this means the end of the London Lite, which is basically Evening Standard news anyway.

 

[jon0844]

Evening Standard is no longer published by the same company, so the content is different. London Lite has the 'benefit' of sharing a lot of content with Metro, which may not be a good thing but it must keep costs down.

They also seem to have been quite good at selling advertising. ES may find its advertisers want to pay less once they go from paid-for to free, although ES has been free for some time (after 7 or 8pm) and sold for as little as 10p at train stations after rush hour. I guess it was clear they'd look to go free even if London Paper had survived - people simply won't pay anymore.

Personally, I find it risky to rely solely on advertising which can come and go - and can also put pressure on editorial staff, making a paper lose any impartiality and integrity. But, we're living in an era where people want everything for free.

 

[westcoaster]

the ES is the only evening paper i like to read, mind you i never pay (look on any train and you will find one), so becoming free will hopefully be to increase circulation?
but hopefully keeping to the same standard as it is now.

 

[Aictos]

the ES is the only evening paper i like to read, mind you i never pay (look on any train and you will find one), so becoming free will hopefully be to increase circulation?
but hopefully keeping to the same standard as it is now.

Same here as well, that was one of the first things I got taught when joining the railways - never spend money on a paper when you can pick one off a seat.

 

[jon0844]

But bloody FCC have too many cleaners so there are certain trains where you simply can't go through the train and get a single copy of any paper!!!

(Of course some aren't done at all and are filled up with the things).

Anyone seen the new signs on FCC trains asking people not to dump their rubbish and turn the train into a skip (complete with a picture of a train with one carriage as a skip)?

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Same here as well, that was one of the first things I got taught when joining the railways - never spend money on a paper when you can pick one off a seat.

funny, I was taught where the kettle/teapot was haha

 

[Mojo]

First thing I was taught was the door code for the canteen. That's not very exciting

 

[Stacey]

Hehe, railway rules - always have a cup of tea (or coffee) and yep, never buy a paper. On the Waterloo-Exeter I usually find masses of Metro and London Lite, some Evening Standard, the odd Sun, The Times or if I'm lucky a Daily Mail - which I snap up when I see one!

 

[jon0844]

Daily Mail is always great to raise the blood pressure (obviously the paper doesn't, it's those DAMNED immigrants).