Rival papers gear up to plug gap in Sunday tabloid market

Published on Saturday 9 July 2011 20:48

AS NEWS of the World journalists put their paper to bed for the last time last night, their competitors were gearing up to exploit the huge gap left in the Sunday tabloid market.

Rivals, however, will save launching many of their promotions to attract readers until next weekend with the News of the World doubling its print run for today's souvenir final edition.

In anticipation of today's paper becoming a collector's item, the News of the World upped its circulation to five million copies to cope with the expected demand. Industry insiders believe that circulation could be as much as 30 per cent higher than the usual 2.66 million copies.

The sudden disappearance of the UK's biggest selling title is an event that rivals such as the Mail on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, the Star on Sunday and the People will be desperate to take advantage of.

In Scotland, the Sunday Post attempted to capitalise earlier than London-based titles with the DC Thomson publication advertising that it would be sold at half price on the news stands today.

The mid-market Mail on Sunday is expected to be the big winner, although Trinity Mirror will be anxious that its red-top tabloid the Sunday Mirror will make gains.

Although likely to put off big promotions until next weekend, industry sources suggested the News of the World's rivals were planning on increasing their print runs by between 20 and 40 per cent.

Last week's sensational announcement that Rupert Murdoch was closing the 168-year-old paper led to shares in Trinity Mirror, the publisher of the Sunday Mirror and the People, and the Daily Mail & General Trust, owner of the Mail on Sunday, shooting up. There is, however, the possibility that many News of the World readers simply stop taking a paper altogether. For many readers, it is bought as a "second" paper alongside a "quality" rag.

The last time something like this happened in 1995 when the Today newspaper folded, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express were the only two titles to benefit.

Although the closure of such a dominant market leader represents a huge opportunity for other newspapers, they will have to act quickly given that it looks like News International is poised to extend the Sun to a seven-day operation.

Meanwhile, there was an air of sadness at Wapping as News of the World journalists prepared the last edition of the 168-year-old newspaper. One staffer wore a commemorative T-shirt saying "Goodbye, cruel News of the World, I'm leaving you today".

The final edition contained tributes to great exclusives and campaigns run by the newspaper. Editor Colin Myler paid tribute to his 200-strong staff, whose jobs are now at risk. In a memo he wrote: "Today is clearly a very difficult day for us all. Who could have imagined this time last week that we would be putting out the last edition of this great newspaper after 168 years?

"But we are – and I know that you will display the same consummate professionalism that you have always done."

"It feels really surreal. People can't comprehend it and are still very angry with Rebekah," said one journalist.

"Staff were called together for a group photograph this morning and everyone was quite jovial, then someone called 'smile' and someone else said 'what have we got to smile about?' Someone shouted 'because we are the best'."