Associated Newspapers has prompted a newspaper war in Dublin by launching a version there of the national free daily Metro.
The paper is a joint venture with Irish Times and Sweden-based Metro International and its launch distribution is 53,000.
Its
launch was preceded by a court action to prevent Independent News and
Media from publishing a rival freesheet incorporating the word metro in
its title.
IN&M has instead launched a rival daily called
Herald AM from the offices of the Evening Herald.Copies of both papers
were distributed on the Dublin city public transport system, the Dart
and Luas.
Related
The Irish Times, which is printing the Metro, is understood to have invested more than €1million in the venture.
One
insider, commenting on Herald AM, said this addition to the Independent
group aimed to build on the reputation of the Evening Herald.
But
the insider cautioned that it could actually have the opposite effect,
damaging the credibility of the evening paper by offering a “poorer
imitation” for free early in the morning.
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