• AP, Thursday, December 22, 2005 11:15 AM

Today is the final day to buy a 25-cent copy of the Red Streak, the youth-oriented newspaper launched amid much hoopla by the Chicago Sun-Times three years ago. No layoffs are expected, as most Red Streak employees are expected to be absorbed back into the Sun-Times. The tabloid was launched as a defensive tactic when the Chicago Tribune, going after the Sun-Times' younger demo, brought out the RedEye, which was filled with light news, celeb gossip, youth-fashion stories, and so forth. "The plot line for Red Streak from the start was to confuse the marketplace and not allow the Tribune to set up a paid-circulation tabloid," said John Barron, the Sun-Times editor-in-chief. Three months ago, the Trib's new paper began free distribution, doing away with its 25-cent charge. "I hate to say mission accomplished... but mission accomplished," said Barron, claiming that his paper had achieved its goals--and that, as a consequence, RedStreak was no longer necessary.

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