Argus Lite - Your new FREE newspaper

[Lord Bracknell]

They are obviously fed up with most of the Argus being distributed free of charge on NSC. So they are going to start giving it away themselves.


From Media Week:-

Argus Lite for Brighton this month

Newsquest is to launch an early morning lite edition of its Brighton Argus later this month in its bid to target the London commuting market.

The Argus Lite will be distributed by hand on routes leading to the stations of Brighton Central, Hove, Brighton, Preston Park, Hayward's Heath and Burgess Hill every morning from 6.30 to 8.30.

It is thought that the move is in reaction to rumours that Associated Newspapers is set to launch a Brighton Metro edition. Associated declined to comment but the publisher does hold the distribution rights for the Brighton stations.

Similar to Metro, the Argus Lite will provide a mix of national and local news, sport and entertainment. Initially circulation will stand at 35,000 but the company plans to add more distribution points as the year progresses.

Newsquest Sussex managing director Martyn Willis explained that the freesheet, which launches on February 20, is designed to gently integrate London commuters into the Argus brand.

He added: "Businesses in the city have no reliable advertising medium through which to reach this potential market. The Argus Lite will provide up to 35,000 new potential customers to retailers, restaurateurs, entertainment venues and a whole host of others."

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I thought the old Argus was lite.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Not when it is bulked up with car adverts and special sections. They make a great read

 

[Wozza]

From The Guardian...

A plan to boost stationary sales
Fears that Metro is about to make good on a long-standing threat to export its commuter-friendly brand to Brighton and Hove have prompted the city's ailing daily paper, the Argus, to get in first. This month Argus Lite will be launched, a free weekday sister title which promises a distinctly Metro-like blend of national news and sport, with a sprinkling of local coverage thrown in.

The giveaway, which, like Metro, will largely subsist on Press Association copy, is being targeted at the estimated 35,000 mainline commuters who make the daily trek to London. At present, the paid-for Argus barely sells 130 copies a day at Brighton station.

Argus publisher Newsquest (Sussex) is crowing about the prospect of reaching a "vibrant, aspirational and active" new readership. Managing director Martyn Willis hopes its combination of a more metropolitan outlook with "lite bites" of news and entertainment lifted from the same day's Argus will ensnare commuters on their way to work - enticing them to buy the paid-for version as they head home.

But in promoting the free title, to be launched on February 20, the company faces a huge stumbling block: a ban preventing it from distributing the paper on local station concourses. Southern Rail, which manages the stations, signed a contract with Metro in 2002, giving the paper exclusive free circulation rights on all its concourses south of London. A company spokesman confirmed: "Metro has a contract with us to be the exclusive free newspaper distributor at all our stations, but I can't comment further because of a confidentiality clause."

Undaunted, Newsquest (Sussex) has recruited a team of early birds to intercept the scurrying hordes by distributing the Argus Lite on "routes leading to" key stations, including Brighton, Hove and Haywards Heath. But stalwarts who have witnessed Argus sales tumble by two-thirds in 20 years, from a 1980s peak of 100,000, are pessimistic.

Two years ago, the then editor Simon Bradshaw jettisoned community-based stories in pursuit of a more cosmopolitan, less parochial, agenda - again geared to commuters. Although this won plaudits, the paper's circulation fell, and he quit soon afterwards. More recently, the Argus abandoned its 125-year-old evening edition in favour of a single daytime one, but sales have continued to decline - falling 11% in the year to September 2005.

One insider said: "People are worried the whole paper will become free one day. Few think this bodes well for the future."A spokesman for Metro declined to comment on the paper's plans in relation to Brighton and Hove, citing reasons of "confidentiality". It remains to be seen if the Argus's suspicions are right.

 

[dougdeep]

Strange idea. I suppose the suburbs and posher areas will still have to pay though.

 

[Brovion]

I think it's quite a good idea and worth trying or else the paper may well die. It could be the model for local newspapers in the 21st century.

Also it can't be any worse than The Leader. I don't even bother glancing at it since Richard Lindfield got the push.

 

[trueblue]

Is the other one going to be re-branded as Argus Shite?

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

They should make them like the ones in Minority Report where the page changes electronically as news breaks. Then I might consider buying the Argus.

 

[zefarelly]

Argus Lite = Happy shopper toilet roll

 

[BensGrandad]

Is The Argus still available at Victoria station. When it was a readable paper I used to buy it at Victoria station on my way home from work and even whenI was at Guildford before the internet I used to drive to Broadbridge Heath on Thursday to get the issue from the garage as it had Seagull Scene in every Thursday.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Shocked me to see the purchase figures from Brighton Station though.

Still what do they expect when its 35p to read the backpage, then maybe see whats on telly tonight?

Absolute pile of poo.

 

[Superseagull]

Worst mistake they did was to change it from an evening paper to the all day version. When I read the Argus in the evening now I am reading yesterdays news. For example the crash that closed the road at Pyecombe will not be in the argus tonight when I get home, so I will watch the local TV news to see what happened. I won't read it in the Argus till tomorrow evening so why buy it?

 

[Brovion]

Worst mistake they did was to change it from an evening paper to the all day version. When I read the Argus in the evening now I am reading yesterdays news. For example the crash that closed the road at Pyecombe will not be in the argus tonight when I get home, so I will watch the local TV news to see what happened. I won't read it in the Argus till tomorrow evening so why buy it?

Spot on and my feelings exactly. Why DID they stop? After all they've a lot of competition in the morning paper market but they had the afternoon/evening field pretty much to themselves in this area. We know the Argus read NSC, perhaps one of them could explain. PS - I think Andy Naylor is not bad and gets too much stick on here.

fourthteamtilidie - where did you see the purchase figures?

BensGrandad - I don't think it's on sale at Victoria any more. I too used to buy it when I commuted but I don't go there daily any more and the last few trips I haven't seen it. I'm up there again tomorrow so I'll check. I like your dedication to Seagull Scene! In the 'good old days' it was always Monday for the match report and Thursday for Seagull Scene. I always used to buy it on those two days.

 

[The Large One]

fourthteamtilidie - where did you see the purchase figures?

Wozza put it in bold on his post.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Why Burgess Hill and not Hassocks. It's a disgrace. The 'Don't Leave Hassocks Lite' campaign starts here.

 

[Cian]

Worst mistake they did was to change it from an evening paper to the all day version. When I read the Argus in the evening now I am reading yesterdays news. For example the crash that closed the road at Pyecombe will not be in the argus tonight when I get home, so I will watch the local TV news to see what happened. I won't read it in the Argus till tomorrow evening so why buy it?

The freebie morning version saved the Evening Herald from that mistake here - I get the Herald AM thrusted at me either through the car window at the first junction I stop at or on the train/bus in the morning, and I can get the City Final at the first junction/train station on the way back in the evening, where the newest news is about 4:30pm

Previously they'd have the "Evening" Herald out at about 11am - missing the morning traffic AND the new news.

 

[culvers]

Why Burgess Hill and not Hassocks. It's a disgrace. The 'Don't Leave Hassocks Lite' campaign starts here.

Burgess Hill is a bigger station with more people, am sure those at Hassocks can pick up the dregs left behing by the Brighton commuters. Also those in Hassocks and the surrounding villages are all telegraph readers anyway!
I like the idea, Metro has done very well, perhaps it will be a much needed boost for the Argus.

 

[Brovion]

Wozza put it in bold on his post.

Oh yeah, so he did!

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Not when it is bulked up with car adverts and special sections. They make a great read

They made a wonderful pile of little bits of torn up paper to throw in the air when we won the play-off match at Millwall in 1991. By the way, I must congratulate the Argus on inventing a new station. I'm not aware that Brighton Station has ever been known as "Brighton Central". Perhaps someone could elaborate if I am wrong.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

The Guardian ought to know the Argus's sales figures. I think they are both owned by the Pearson Group.