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Iconic London Paper Goes Free After 182 Years

Owners eliminate cover price as Evening Standard hemorrhages cash

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 2, 2009 4:54 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Evening Standard, London's 182-year-old afternoon newspaper, will become a freesheet later this month in an attempt to pump up the struggling title's circulation. The Standard, purchased by Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev last year for the fire-sale price of one pound, loses $16 million a year and may fire staff to stay afloat. The move to free distribution comes after Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. closed its own London freesheet, citing unsustainable costs.

The Evening Standard will become a freesheet this month. It currently sells for about 80 cents a copy.
The Evening Standard will become a freesheet this month. It currently sells for about 80 cents a copy.   (©spratmackrel)
Russian billionaire banker Alexander Lebedev, who owns the Evening Standard, during an interview in his house in Moscow.
Russian billionaire banker Alexander Lebedev, who owns the Evening Standard, during an interview in his house in Moscow.   (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
The Evening Standard is famous for its headlines advertised on sandwich boards outside train and tube stations.
The Evening Standard is famous for its headlines advertised on sandwich boards outside train and tube stations.   (©engineroomblog)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
cochiserocks
Oct 2, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
Free Standards!!! What'll happen to all the paper sellers outside the tube?
schmidtkoff
Oct 2, 2009 4:17 AM CDT
and ruppie murdoch pulled out of his own shit sheet.

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