The London Evening Standard has printed its final daily paper ahead of a move to weekly-only editions and a rebrand. The newspaper launched in its original incarnation in 1827 and became free of charge in 2009, seeing particular popularity with the capital's commuters. From next Thursday, the paper will become a weekly edition under a new title called The London Standard.
The paper's parent company has also struck a deal with City AM, a free daily, which focuses on business and finance, to take up the Standard's distribution slots. Albert Read, executive chairman of the London Evening Standard said: "As the Standard embarks on the next phase of its journey, its new weekly print publication will set the bar high, reaching new readers, and reflecting the dynamism and excitement of London." He said the distribution deal with City AM, which is published by a separate company to the Standard, would bring "two formidable titles together".
The Standard's move to a weekly edition was announced in May amid declining circulation. The Monday and Friday editions were phased out in early August, the Press Gazette reports, which covers the media industry. It also reported in July that about 70 redundancies were expected to be made at the Standard.
The paper's daily circulation has dropped from 850,000 to 275,000 in the past five years, and it has lost £84.5m over the past six years. The paper's forerunner, named the Standard, launched 197 years ago, with an evening version added in 1859.
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