Italian free business afternoon daily
In Rome and Milan, Ventiquattrominuti (24 minutes), the free afternoon paper by Il Sole 24 Ore, was launched on November 20. The paper is a brand extension of the financial daily, it shares resources but also the ‘24′ logo. The paper is hoped to break even in three years and already collect € 20m of advertising revenue in the first year. In Milan 200,000 copies will be distributed while the Rome circulation will be 250,000. The new title is operated by news agency Radiocor and cooperate with radiostation Radio 24. To achieve its goal of getting an upmarket readership it will be distributed in 4 and 5 stars hotels, through taxi’s, in gyms, airport lounges, night clubs, restaurants, cinema’s and theatres. Ten extra journalists are hired for the 28-page paper.
Apart from 24minuti, four other major free titles are published in Italy: Metro (7 editions, circulation 850,000), Leggo (Caltagirone, 9 editions, circulation 1,050,000), City (RCS, 9 editons, circulation 850,000) and the E Polis papers by Niki Grauso (North Italy, Milan, Rome – the last two editions since September 28, circulation 850,000, party paid). E Polis editions for Napoli and Bologna are planned (see previous post). In Milan RSC also publishes the free afternoon 4-pager Anteprima since November 12 (see previous post). Paid circulation in Italy in 2005 was 5.7 million, a 5% decline from 6 million in 2000; free circulation in November 2006 is 4.2 million (42% of total circulation). Circulation of free papers, however, should be treated with caution because Italy is one of the few European countries without officially audited free paper circulation. Free papers have been denied membership of the audit organization.
Sources: Editorsweblog, Primaonline, Il Solo 24 Ore