English edition of 'Daily Star' may seek to compete with 'Irish Daily Star'

EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS in Britain is considering distributing the English edition of the Daily Startabloid in the Republic, a move that would put it into direct competition with the Irish Daily Star, which it owns jointly with Independent News & Media.

Express and IN&M – which jointly own Independent Star Ltd, publisher of the Irish version of the red top – are currently in talks about this move.

IN&M is believed to have voiced its opposition to the move but it is unable to block the English edition being printed here.

The talks centre around the cover price of the English edition and the colour of the masthead on the paper. The Daily Starretails at just 30 pence in Britain but the Irish edition costs €1.35. INM does not want the English edition to undercut its Irish rival.

It is understood that Expresswould not be able to use its traditional red masthead here. Sources indicated yesterday that consideration was being given to using a blue masthead for the UK paper.

The two editions of the tabloid are sold in Northern Ireland, where the Irish version sports a green masthead.

In August, the Irish Daily Starhad a circulation of 84,138 copies a day, of which 7,449 were in the North.

Independent Star Ltd ceased publishing a Sunday edition earlier this year. Since then, the British version has been distributed in the Republic, achieving a weekly circulation of 42,996.

In a statement to The Irish Timesyesterday, IN&M said: "Express Newspapers has indicated that it wishes to print and distribute the English edition of the Daily Starproduct in the Republic of Ireland. As a 50 per cent shareholder in Independent Star, which publishes the successful Irish Daily Star, IN&M has raised a number of issues of concern with Express Newspapers. We have a successful partnership with Express Newspapers and discussions with them continue."

Independent Star Ltd made an operating profit of €4.3 million in 2010 and paid a dividend of €4.55 million to Express and INM.

If the Daily Starwere launched here, it would be printed at IN&M's plant in Dublin.

Paul Moran, managing director of Mediaworks, a media buying agency, predicted the English edition of the Starwould have little impact here as there would be no Irish content. "The only way it would cannibalise the sales of the Irish Staris if there was a price differential," he said.