Would anyone like to anticipate the looming London evening newspaper wars?

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As of 4 September, London is going to have a new free evening paper, published by the Murdoch empire. The Evening Standard are going to launch their own freebie in a bid to fight it off.

Everyone is promising much, but will anyone deliver? Or do ILXors think Murdoch vs Rothermere is like choosing whether you want to be deaf or blind?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

Yes.

― Earwig oh! (Mark C), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 15:43 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just old enough to remember the Evening News (does it still say "Incorporating the Evening News" on the Standard's masthead?) and also Maxwell's London Daily News (which prompted the Standard to temporarily revive the Evening News as a cheaper rival). Surprisingly, I also remember the London Daily News jingle, played on Capital Radio and/or LBC.

"Phone LONDON Daily News classified / on Five Eight Two Four Thoouuusand" (I may well have the number wrong).

I'm glad that an evening newspaper war can still exist.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

I've been very closely involved in building the editorial team for the Murdoch paper and I'm actually quite looking forward to it. The next couple of months will be very interesting. The ownership of both titles will be largely irrelevant, I think - very few people read the Metro and think "urgh, Daily Mail".

I don't know anything for sure, but from what I can gather the Murdoch launch will be aimed at the trendy young urbanite market, lots of gossip and lifestyle, lots of multicultural interest, maybe a bit of a 'daily Time Out' feel. I suspect it's highly unlikely to be particularly political (much like the Metro really). If they do it well (good listings, bar/restaurant recommendations and news and sport stuff that people haven't already read on the internet) it could be a decent lightweight commuter read.

The Standard freebie is a hastily cobbled-together rebrand of the existing Standard Lite that will be going for the older suburbanite Evening Standard type market. I'm not sure how this is intended to boost sales of the Standard (which are going to be hit anyway) in any shape or form.

― No one in particular (Matt DC), Thursday, 24 August 2006 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

that sounds kind of likely, yeah; 'the times' itself seems to be trying to corner this particular(ly vile) demographic.

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

Why is that a particularly vile demographic? The Sun, Express, Telegraph, Mail and even the Standard have demographics that are a million times worse.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

why introduce an evening newspaper, out of curiosity? are there still successful evening newspapers in the uk or us?

― Maria (Maria), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

afternoon newspaper rather than evening - it'll hit the streets around 4pm i believe

also the dominant evening paper at the moment, the standard, is a) not free and b) evil

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:31 (nineteen years ago)

true. it's cos i know people who might read the times, but would turn their noses up at the others (but then i'd rate the torygraph above that lot, and the times).

xpost

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:31 (nineteen years ago)

very few people read the Metro and think "urgh, Daily Mail".

Actually, I find the Metro's reporting style and its priorities pretty horrible, so I pretty much do think "urgh, Daily Mail". I'm assuming we get exactly the same Metro (with different entertainment listings) up here, right?

― emil.y (emil.y), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

why introduce an evening newspaper, out of curiosity? are there still successful evening newspapers in the uk or us?

London in particular has a very large captive market of people sitting on trains for an hour or two every day. The evening market isn't really catered to adequately at the moment - the one paper that does exist, the Evening Standard, is aimed largely at grumpy upper middle-class types from Surbiton and doesn't really make much of an effort to 'talk to' most Londoners. Because it's been the only afternoon paper, it hasn't really had to.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

agreed. i think its a hateful rag...

― i am not a nugget (stevie), Thursday, 24 August 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

so this is just going to be standard lite moved later? surely they can't sustain a 'lite' and 'late' while trying to sell a full price at the same time.

― rtccc (mwah), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

Can other people actually figure out a common political standpoint in the Metro? It seems to vaccillate wildly between poles (which I have far less problem with than the actual quality of the writing)

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

i think they're getting rid of 'lite'.

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

It's going to be called LondonLite, I believe.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

So a sort of Radio Two of newspapers, then.

― Scourage (Haberdager), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

I wonder if they're considering future expansion to Manchester to challenge the Evening News. Or Glasgow/Evening Times for that matter.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Thursday, 24 August 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

MATT - answer julia's text message! i need to know too!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 24 August 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

FITE

"oh YOU were going to intersperse news, comment, and entertainment listings too, OH SURE"

― Bashment Jakes (Enrique), Friday, 25 August 2006 08:21 (nineteen years ago)

what happened to The London Line?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 25 August 2006 08:39 (nineteen years ago)

Don't know. But London Lite launches today. Going after that elusive "24-36" demographic, who apparently are only interested in Big Brother and football.

Meanwhile, the editor of the Murdoch one has said he's only doing one edition a day because multiple editions is "a pre-internet idea".

God help us all...

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 07:01 (nineteen years ago)

There was a test run of London Lite that went out on Friday. It was pretty dreadful.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 07:50 (nineteen years ago)

londonlite is ugly and shitty. worse than metro.

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Monday, 4 September 2006 12:18 (nineteen years ago)

But London Lite launches today. Going after that elusive "24-36" demographic, who apparently are only interested in Big Brother and football.

i just checked out their website at www.ilxor.com, and it certainly seems to be the case

― -- (688), Monday, 4 September 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

Page 4 of the first edition of the London Lite was 'Most Britons now feel threatened by Islam' which is not really the cuddly inclusive message that they should be sending out to Ken's London, is it?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

It's also not very LITE!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

Lite on content amirite I kill me I should be on stage

― beanz (beanz), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

does anyone still have a copy of friday's London Lite at all? i did a last minute TV review for them, but did not go out into town that day and so couldn't get one.

― i am not a nugget (stevie), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

All of ILX is a stage,
we are all going through...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

Just picked up a copy of thelondonpaper - it LOOKS really nice and clean, a bit like the Independent, and it has a cool 'future Tube map' on page 10. Quite feature led and light on actual news by the looks of things.

I haven't actually read any of it yet so will reserve judgement until I do.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:49 (nineteen years ago)

They're splashing on Croc Hunter, which is a bit odd as the editor has been banging on for weeks about it being a paper for internet generation. Surely the internet generation are now aware of Mr Irwin's untimely demise?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

Cool future Tube map:

http://www.cix.co.uk/~gidds/Snaps/America/257_PacificOcean.jpeg

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

does the future tube map feature TUBES IN THE AIR like on futurama?

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

even the today programme generation are well aware of the croc hunter death

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 September 2006 14:54 (nineteen years ago)

I wonder if they're considering future expansion to Manchester to challenge the Evening News. Or Glasgow/Evening Times for that matter.
-- Mädchen (madchen_in_unifor...), August 24th, 2006 3:57 PM. (Madchen)

Daily Record beat them to it. In Glasgow, at least.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 4 September 2006 15:12 (nineteen years ago)

http://markandrich.googlepages.com/thelondonfaker

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Monday, 4 September 2006 15:40 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, those are saucy tights for such a miserable day.

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Monday, 4 September 2006 15:43 (nineteen years ago)

Oh. I passed the purple sofa on the walk to work, and wondered what it was for. I just assumed the chiX0r in the tights and purple umbrella was a typical streetnut as she was wandering about Soho and talking to herself.

― Goldene Schnitt (kate), Monday, 4 September 2006 15:52 (nineteen years ago)

the london lite is a lot better than the london paper, metro experience I guess, it is basically the metro, more news more local info. The lon don paper seems to be doing better advertising wise. Its quite clear that neither is breaking even right now.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 September 2006 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah right sorry.:

http://rwillmsen.livejournal.com/35612.html

― Ricky Willmsenman (gatinhathree), Monday, 4 September 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

Has anyone else been tempted to buy a copy of the Evening Standard for the first time ever as a kind of protest, or is it just me?!

― Ricky Willmsenman (gatinhathree), Monday, 4 September 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

No, because we've all bought the damn thing already.

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Monday, 4 September 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

They need to get one or the other of the papers inside the stations asap - people find it annoying enough having to dodge chuggers/students giving out pieces of marketing tat without having two sets of purple-shirted workers waving free papers in front of you. One of the reasons why the Metro works is because people feel free to pick one up or ignore it entirely so it feels like less of an imposition.

Ed - afaik there's no overlap between the Metro and London Lite. But the London Lite has pretty much the same editorial team as the Standard Lite, which is where the experience comes from. Also there's a fair bit of overlap between the Lite and the Standard proper. From what I can gather The London Paper has a much younger team - it reads disappointingly like a student paper in places and the over-pixellated photos don't help. The Metro is pretty good at doing frivolous lifestyle stuff and they need to get closer to that.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

When Metro started (at least up here) there were gaggles of blue-sweatshirted over-enthusiastic promotion gonks handing them out at every exit of Central Station, just until yer average muppet in the street realised it existed and then they just left it lying around places for you to take (or not) as you wished.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

Apparently there were scantily-clad girls on mopeds handing out copies of the Glasgow PM today.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

Oh noes, I missed it! Will they be alternating with scantily-clad blokes for when I'm in Glasgow on Wednesday?

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, why don't they have DDBs handing out these free newspapers? I swear, that's the only time I bought @rtr0cker that time.

― Goldene Schnitt (kate), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:58 (nineteen years ago)

No, but apparently all the Evening Times vendors will be in speedos.

x-post

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Marvellous. I think I'll take the bus.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 65 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

So last week, Lex...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 07:41 (nineteen years ago)

one way to tidy britain would be for the right-wing media moguls to STOP DUMPING THEIR FILTH ON THE LONDON STREETS EACH EVENING.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 07:42 (nineteen years ago)

anyway what's the story?

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 07:42 (nineteen years ago)

akala. ms dynamite's brother

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 08:02 (nineteen years ago)

there's a story about ms dynamite's brother.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 08:03 (nineteen years ago)

he's nominated for the mobos. he's a v nice young man. pick up the paper anyway!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

How posh are they anyway?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

i p-p-p-icked up the paper on monday, and ended up unlearning the english language simply on the off-chance i might be tempted to read it again.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 08:07 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/22/5

― banriquit, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:21 (seventeen years ago)

please take the Standard with it

― blueski, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:26 (seventeen years ago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/It%27sAllOverNowBabyBlue-Them.jpg

― The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:30 (seventeen years ago)

"Or do ILXors think Murdoch vs Rothermere is like choosing whether you want to be deaf or blind?"
http://itsmelove.exteen.com/images/See%20no%20Evil%20%20Speak%20no%20Evil%20Hear%20no%20Evil%201.jpg
Lol at everything Enrique's said. Also its things like this that make me happy we have The Metro.
Wait.
No.

― VeronaInTheClub, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

"Or do ILXors think Murdoch vs Rothermere is like choosing whether you want to be deaf or blind?"
http://itsmelove.exteen.com/images/See%20no%20Evil%20%20Speak%20no%20Evil%20Hear%20no%20Evil%201.jpg

― VeronaInTheClub, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

"Or do ILXors think Murdoch vs Rothermere is like choosing whether you want to be deaf or blind?"
http://itsmelove.exteen.com/images/See%20no%20Evil%20%20Speak%20no%20Evil%20Hear%20no%20Evil%201.jpg
Lol at everything Enrique's said. Also its things like this that make me happy we have The Metro.
Wait.
No.

-- VeronaInTheClub, Thursday, 26 June 2008 16:45 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

Oh wait, I get it: you're Chantelle Fiddy.

http://www.binghamtoncrimestoppers.org/case/files/2002/case21/solved_sus_lg_2002.jpg

― The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:47 (seventeen years ago)

omg u called it

― banriquit, Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:50 (seventeen years ago)

that piece is all "bullshit" according to a mate on the "inside":

"It's a load of bullshit - that's off the back of the thing that was written in the Observer at the weekend and is completely untrue. Mags have been sold, but seeing as half the Standard are coming to us at the moment we're looking pretty healthy."

― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 26 June 2008 16:29 (seventeen years ago)

oh well :(

― banriquit, Thursday, 26 June 2008 16:30 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.junkscience.com/JSJ_Course/jsjudocourse/wrong.jpg

― VeronaInTheClub, Thursday, 26 June 2008 17:24 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

So where have all Thelondonpaper's distributors gone? There's not a single person handing them out around here.

― James Mitchell, Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:00 (sixteen years ago)

thelondonpaper is finished, isn't it?

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:04 (sixteen years ago)

yes, I think so, good job.

― (bracket name) (jel --), Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:05 (sixteen years ago)

think it closes next friday(?)

― history mayne, Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:12 (sixteen years ago)

who will pay chris roy taylor to enrage me now

― kevision questler (country matters), Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:13 (sixteen years ago)

Well, I thought it was still meant to be on this week, and the website's updating (I checked) but all the way between the City, through Liverpool Street and up to Whitechapel I haven't passed a single person handing it out. Normally I have to dodge at least 20 or so of them at this time of day. Starting to think that maybe some of them have been got rid of a week early. Though hopefully they're still getting paid but just not bothering to hang about on street corners annoying people.

― James Mitchell, Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:32 (sixteen years ago)

Still tons in Holborn.

― lacoste intolerant (suzy), Wednesday, 9 September 2009 15:35 (sixteen years ago)

and still tons posted around Oxford Circus. more London Papers around there than London Lites.

― salsa shark, Wednesday, 9 September 2009 16:17 (sixteen years ago)

RIP london paper. heaven needed fewer trees and an army of purple jackets

― ken "save-a-finn" c (ken c), Wednesday, 9 September 2009 16:43 (sixteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/02/london-evening-standard-free

― history mayne, Friday, 2 October 2009 10:18 (sixteen years ago)

Ahem.

― James Mitchell, Friday, 2 October 2009 10:21 (sixteen years ago)

Although, yes, this is a better thread for it.

― James Mitchell, Friday, 2 October 2009 10:22 (sixteen years ago)

Err, this is the most relevant thread I could find, but does someone happen to have an October 8th issue of The Times lying around? I have a page of photos in it supposedly and forgot to pick up a copy when I was there.... Oops.

― phil-two, Tuesday, 13 October 2009 16:02 (sixteen years ago)

AIRHORN NOISE. AIRHORN NOISE. AIRHORN NOISE

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 27 October 2009 12:48 (sixteen years ago)

Speaking of which, has anyone else seen Big Issue sellers handing out the new free Evening Standard?

― James Mitchell, Tuesday, 27 October 2009 13:39 (sixteen years ago)

three months pass...

The London Weekly has to be a hoax, right?

― James Mitchell, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:09 (fifteen years ago)

something like that. the editor in chief seems to be mother teresa ("agnes a. theresa"). good summary here: http://www.jamesrb.co.uk/?p=260

― joe, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:32 (fifteen years ago)

"Former London Wasps, England, and Lions rugby legend Lawrence Dallaglio, this week met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at No 10 to launch London Wasps annual St George's Day Game."

― James Mitchell, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:45 (fifteen years ago)

The top 'five' album reviews:

http://www.reverendmoonbeam.co.uk/images/londonweekly/IMG_0377.jpg

― James Mitchell, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:48 (fifteen years ago)

not much to say about that vampire weekend record, i notice.

― joe, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:51 (fifteen years ago)

Vampire
Weekend -
Contra

― kinda sad that everybody gets a blur band (DJ Mencap), Friday, 5 February 2010 12:14 (fifteen years ago)

their masthead is actually in verdana - amazing

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 5 February 2010 12:20 (fifteen years ago)

hmm. the only page of classifieds and there's one recruitment ad with no contact details and two others where the domain names seem to be fake.

http://www.reverendmoonbeam.co.uk/images/londonweekly/IMG_0394.jpg

― joe, Friday, 5 February 2010 12:29 (fifteen years ago)

Got any news story?

― requiem for a team (onimo), Friday, 5 February 2010 12:30 (fifteen years ago)

I can't take my eyes off that double space in the Pet Shop Boys head.

― nothing good came of it (woofwoofwoof), Friday, 5 February 2010 12:41 (fifteen years ago)

so it turns out the only confirmed backer of this paper is former nottingham forest and arsenal striker tony woodcock.

― joe, Monday, 8 February 2010 14:08 (fifteen years ago)

the london weekly defends itself, apparently in the form of another spot-the-error competition.

Despite several spoiler attempts by rival newspapers and media houses. The London Weekly kept to it's deadline by launching successfully today (05.02.10). The brand new light hearted free sheet will be distributed weekly each and every Friday and Saturday.

"weekly each and every Friday and Saturday" is where the sentence just abandons meaning entirely and falls off the edge of a cliff.

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Monday, 8 February 2010 14:17 (fifteen years ago)

Last time I checked, use of 'light-hearted' to describe any venture or statement is an instant forfeit of the right to be taken seriously.

― spay or neuter your blue dog (suzy), Monday, 8 February 2010 14:26 (fifteen years ago)

# Matt 2010-02-05 20:40
It's a great read! It will do better with me writing for it too... Contact me and give us a job.... I used to write for the London paper..

;_;

― kinda sad that everybody gets a blur band (DJ Mencap), Monday, 8 February 2010 14:26 (fifteen years ago)

not much to say about that vampire weekend record, i notice.

― joe, Friday, 5 February 2010 11:51 (3 days ago) Bookmark

best review i've read so far

― warmsherry, Monday, 8 February 2010 18:08 (fifteen years ago)

London Weekly dudes be mental

― Space Battle Rothko (Matt DC), Friday, 12 February 2010 10:06 (fifteen years ago)

how dare us?

― joe, Friday, 12 February 2010 10:14 (fifteen years ago)

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