An evening paper which was one of the first to try the part paid-for, part-free model will be twice-weekly from next week.

The Reading Evening Post is adopting the new publishing pattern as part of sweeping changes announced in March by parent company GMG Regional Media, involving around 35 editorial job losses and office and newspaper closures.

From next Wednesday the title becomes the Reading Post and will feature around 180 pages and be paid-for only, costing 40p.

And from next Friday the new part paid-for, part-free ‘Getreading’ will be delivered to around 71,000 homes and also available in shops at 40p.

Paul O’Halloran, managing director of publishers Surrey and Berkshire Media, said: “Although we are changing our publishing model we will continue to deliver to the people of Reading, local news and information, sport, comment and entertainment through our website, our weekly paid for title and our free newspaper.

“We believe that this is the best way in which to deliver news and provide our advertisers with the best coverage of Reading.”

The Reading Post will cost 20p during the launch week and has undergone a makeover.

The company says the new-look aims to keep its identity as a hard-hitting tabloid but combine it with a more upmarket look, using cooler colours and more white space, making it easier to navigate for readers.

It will cover news, features, opinion and sport along with an expanded business section and large weekly entertainments guide called 24/7.

There will also be a weekly property section and supplements such Business Post and the food monthly.

In Getreading, there will be ‘what’s on’ listings, previews of the weekend’s sport and news.

The newspaper will also include feedback from sister website getreading.co.uk and work hand-in-hand with the site, a first in both regional and national newspaper reverse publishing, according to the company.

The last Evening Post will be published this Friday, featuring a history of the paper since its launch in 1965. On Monday the title will launch a new online lunchtime video news bulletin.

Comments

oldhackandproud (26/05/2009 15:00:10)
“cooler colours and more white space..”
Sound move. You’ve lost your best reporters to fill the white space with stories!!!

another old hack (27/05/2009 14:45:08)
In 1967 I was on the features desk, and the switched-on Howard Green was editor. And its circulation was going up like a Saturn V. 40,000 a night, if I remember rightly. Now we have yet another lesson in how to wreck a thoroughly good paper.