Independent News and Media has announced that it will launch the tabloid version of the London Independentnewspaper in the north-west of England from next Tuesday.
The tabloid Independentwill go on sale alongside the broadsheet version in the Granada TV region. The region, which encircles Greater Manchester, is described as an area in which the newspaper already has a strong brand franchise.
The move comes after the relatively successful launch of the tabloid version in the London market. Daily sales of the newspaper are reported to have risen by 15-20,000 copies in a market that remains in decline.
According to reports the Daily Telegraphis also looking at reducing the size of its newspaper. The move which could reduce printing costs by 15 per cent would see the paper move to a US broadsheet format which is seen to be a more commuter friendly format.