Newsquest’s Evening Times changes name in relaunch aiming to ‘renew local roots’

Newsquest’s Scottish daily title The Evening Times has dropped half of its title in a relaunch designed to “renew” its “local roots”.

The paid-for newspaper has today become The Glasgow Times under new editor Callum Baird, who took the helm last month.

Baird, formerly the editor of sister title The National, was appointed managing editor of both newspapers reporting to editor-in-chief Donald Martin.

The Evening Times switched to overnight production in 2012, when it began to go on sale at the same time as its sister morning daily The Herald.

The word “Evening” is still present on the new-look masthead today, but it is understood the word will be dropped when the name is fully established.

Announcing the name change yesterday, the newspaper told readers the “exciting change” heralded “part two” of its history.

“Despite every effort to innovate and keep abreast of a fast-changing Scotland, the Evening Times could not escape the fate of the rest of the country’s press as it was overtaken by social and technological developments it found itself ill-equipped to deal with,” the title said.

“As circulations declined, it was hard to maintain the same quality of editorial output.

“But of course, the newspaper industry is capable of innovation too, which may enable it to redefine its role for readers who are nowadays often more demanding in their specialised interests.

“Glasgow is a good place for this. Glaswegians remain local patriots, especially as the city has once again been redefining itself, this time as a centre for the advances of the digital age.

“On the old Evening Times, it is time for a relaunch. The first appearance of the Glasgow Times tomorrow will preserve in half its title one link with the past, but with the other half, it will renew local roots that have plenty of life in them yet.”

In the second half of 2018 the Evening Times had a circulation of 18,204, according to ABC.

Ten years earlier, it was being read by 68,422 people.