Tindle Newspapers is standing by an earlier decision to drop “Sunday” from the masthead of most editions of the Plymouth-based Sunday Independent.
Previous owner Newsquest made the change in a bid to extend the shelf life of the paper.
The Cornwall, Devon and Bristol & Somerset editions have all dropped the “Sunday”, and there will now also be a Plymouth Independent on sale in the city alongside the Sunday Independent.
Explaining the move, Tindle group manager director Brian Doel said: “As a Sunday, the news agents cleared all the Sunday papers off the deck by Monday or Tuesday and it wasn’t available for the rest of the week. Without the ‘Sunday’ we can be sold as a weekly and remain on the shelves until Saturday. Also, the paper has more than just Sunday editorial. We have more in-depth sports backgro und and more news background like a weekly.”
Doel claimed that since changing the masthead the papers had experienced an increase in sales of approximately 3 per cent.
Tindle, which took over the titles on Monday, has also brought out a new edition. The existing free Yeovil Clarion has merged with the Sunday Independent and will be known as the Yeovil Independent and Clarion.
By Sarah Lagan
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