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Free Vs. Paid Daily Battle Coming To U.S.

Media Life, Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:15 AM

A battle between free dailies and traditional newspapers has been raging for some time overseas -- and it is about to get hotter here, too. Some European cities have as many as five dailies, squeezing both advertising and circulation revenue at their paid-for rivals. London and Copenhagen are just two of the cities already awash in free papers, and it looks like Boston could be next.

In the coming months, another free paper called Boston Now, will hit the streets. It is backed by Dagsbrun, Iceland's largest media company, and the publisher is Russel Pergament, founder of freebie Metro Boston and the one behind the launch of Tribune Co.'s am NewYork. Pergament says Boston Now will emphasize local news and makes it clear Dagsbrun has eyes for other markets as well. "It's very much our intention to do more free sheets in the U.S., eight or 10 more," he says.

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