• The Independent, Monday, August 21, 2006 12:15 PM

It should be a pleasant change for London commuters next month to find themselves the target of a lavish battle for their attention. As Rupert Murdoch's new free newspaper--thelondonpaper--is launched, Associated Newspapers will respond with a free version of the Evening Standard called London Lite. That means that in addition to Metro in the morning, commuters will now have two free papers for the way home. The art of the newspaper war is a cunning one. At the same time, as its new freesheet was announced, Associated made a seemingly paradoxical move. While 350,000 to 400,000 copies of London Lite will be handed out free to those within one transport zone, buyers of the Evening Standard outside the free area have to pay more--as much as 25 percent more. "Is this a paradox--or a brilliant marketing ploy? With Londoners drowning in free newsprint--not to mention easy access to 24-hour news from other outlets--isn't a Standard price hike more like a suicide note?" Or could it be that strategists at Associated think charging more, and focusing attention on the distinctive nature of their product, is the salvation of print media?

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