Launches: Publico in Spain, two freesheets in Portugal

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on September 21, 2007 at 12:42 PM

Two new freesheets have been launched in Portugal, and a new paid-for daily, Publico, is to be launched in Spain.

Global Noticias was launched on Sep 10, with a circulation of 150,000 copies. The real news was the surprise launch of CM Extra, a free afternoon daily spin off of the paid paper Correio da Manhã.

CM Extra’s publisher, Cofina, already publishes the freesheets Destak and Meia Hora. The free press now has a larger circulation that the paid-for press in Portugal.

Publico will be sold for €0.50, about half of the regular price for general news dailies in Spain. Its circulation will be 250,000 copies and it will have four regional editions.

The 64-page newspaper will put some emphasis on the cultural, science and sports sections. It will target young readers who now read freesheets and could be interested in reading a paid-for daily with similar kind of content (many pictures, text articles shorter than other paid-for dailies).

“Politics won’t be what we devote most time and effort to,” said Publico's director, Ignacio Escolar.

The left-leaning newspaper will have 140 journalists.

Source: Newspaper Innovation – Voila.fr through IFRA Executive News Service