Alexander Lebedev's purchase of the Independent has led to a few significant changes. One of the biggest was the addition of i, a slimmer version of the Independent. With i's success, readers have asked for more than just its Monday to Friday run: MediaWeek has announced that i will add a Saturday edition to its normal circulation cycle.

Editor Simon Kelner wrote in a letter on the publication's website, "I've lost count of the number of readers who have written to us asking for a Saturday edition of their favourite daily paper... From May 7, i will be available on a Saturday, meaning an end to all those sad weekends you've spent counting the hours before we spring into action again on Monday."

The new edition will sell for 30p, 10p more than the weekly i, according to the Guardian. However, the Saturday edition will contain all the content of the weekly edition plus a few extras. The extras will add eight pages to its length, making it 64 pages.

New additions to the Saturday edition will include more games and diversions. In particular, Kelner mentioned a much-requested Codeword puzzle. The paper will also add a new section entitled "Leisure and Pleasure" which focuses on food, travel, fashion, style, gardening, opera, and other such leisurely and pleasurable pursuits. It will also contain a weekend TV guide, more sports and interviews, and even personal finance advice from experts.

The decision to expand comes after a very successful start for the paper. It has been experiencing growth in the UK market- which is the exact opposite trend of most papers. Although it had a slight dip in March, circulation was at 172,250. The Guardian noted a Saturday launch would help bring numbers back up. Managing director of i and The Independent Andrew Mullins said, "The forthcoming Saturday launch reflects the success we have had so far with i.

"As the circulation figures for i continue to hold strong, it shows the appetite readers in the UK have for a digested quality read. We have very high hopes for our Saturday edition."

i was started as a condensed version of sister publication the Independent. Targeted at people who have fallen out of the habit of reading a quality daily, its condensed version of stories was intended to be read more quickly than other newspapers on the market. Meant to be a companion to the Independent, its style has been described as "more funky." Shortly after the paper's October launch, the publication also released an app for the iPad.

Whether or not the Saturday edition will be successful depends on the readers. Kelner gave them a call to action, saying, "[W]e're counting on you to make it just as big a success as the Monday to Friday paper. We take pride in being Britain's most interactive paper: we've listened to you and now, no longer, will Saturday be our day of rest. For you, we hope, it will be a day of leisure and pleasure, with i asyour [sic] faithful companion. Here's to it!"

Sources: The Guardian (1), (2), The Independent, MediaWeek