The Evening Press at York is converting to a compact format.

The move is what readers and advertisers have been asking for since the paper first experimented successfully with a tabloid Saturday edition in 1997.

In the build-up to making the decision, the paper undertook a massive in-paper survey of readers, a non-reader poll, carried out focus-group sessions and a major survey of retail advertisers and newsagents. Every time, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of the new format.

And from this autumn, the local paper will be produced in the new format six nights a week instead of just one.

The Evening Press is one of only three broadsheet evening papers left in the country, and one of those has already announced its intention to go tabloid.

The current tabloid
– available on Saturdays

Editor Kevin Booth has promised readers and advertisers that the new compact shape will offer more colour pages, up-to-the-minute design and will be far easier to read.

He hailed the change to compact as the most important single development in the history of the paper.

And he said: “Sales of the Evening Press are extremely healthy. However, we cannot become complacent.

“Newspapers must continue to evolve to remain relevant and appealing. Providing the right content is the key, but it is imperative that a newspaper looks modern, is accessible and that the information it contains can be easily found and digested.

“Two of the top quality national newspapers, The Times and The Independent, have demonstrated perfectly that the change to compact can be achieved without affecting the service to readers and advertisers and that there is no loss of quality.”

Liz Page, managing director of Evening Press publishers York & County Press, said: “We have listened to our readers and customers in reaching this historic decision. The change of format will build on the best of our heritage while laying firm foundations for the future.”

Broadsheet

Head of advertising Avril Oliver said the change to compact would add new customers to the loyal readership and that had to be of benefit to advertisers.

She said: “Feedback from advertisers is overwhelmingly that it would be a positive move. I am delighted this decision has been reached and that we are satisfying the needs of our customers by implementing this change.”

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