thelondonpaper Faces Axe

By · August 20, 2009 at 13:45 pm · No comments · Latest News · Report an error ·

2008_londonpaper.jpg
Image / ganchingabz

The London freesheet war that sparked into life in 2006 has claimed its first real casualty: thelondonpaper, owned by News International, is to be closed. 60 full-time and contract staff could lose their jobs, but in the current economic climate — and with the title losing £9.1 million so far this year — Murdoch has sussed that it is unlikely to ever turn a profit, and has decided to pull the plug. Beyond the business aspect, though, there could be a more personal angle: this week’s Private Eye reports that Rebekah Wade, former Sun editor and now chief executive at News International, has long loathed the freesheet for pinching readers and potential sales from her beloved Currant Bun, and refused to sign up to the board of sister company and thelondonpaper publisher NI Free Newspapers. The paper will continue to litter the Tube for the next 30 days as staff undergo a consultation, but shortly after that it will be wound up..

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  • http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk andi_kam

    So disappointed in this! It is my favourite London newspaper and would be the last one I would want to see go. Its a shame because their web traffic has been rising loads in the past 4 months and they’re circulation is higher than many of the other free papers

  • http://www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com/ Tomtiredoflondon

    Oh no! Where will I go for winehouseupdates and realising that no one on the underground ever thinks I’m hot?

  • http://undefined pfog

    And where will I go for my free daily cryptic crossword fix? And Em? What’s going to happen to Em?!?

  • http://undefined pfog

    I know the real reason it’s getting axed: Murdoch’s million monkeys at a million typewriters have finally exhausted all possible ways of writing: “You – hot girl on tube. Me – leering perv in the shirt. Shag?”

    Those things couldn’t be written by actual humans, could they?

  • http://undefined cobo04

    and another one bites the dust, pity really but there you are.

    With this recession on the wane (so says the finalcial sector), it is a pity that this newspaper is to be axed at such a fragile time, maybe if left until Winter, it may be okay.

    Time will tell, maybe a re-born thelondonpaper version 2?

  • Jonn

    I almost think it’s a shame, if only because – as pointless and Geldof-obsessed as the London Paper is – it’s worthy of a bloody Pullitzer compared to London Lite.

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