Baltimore ‘b’-day today
A second free daily in Baltimore, simply called ‘b’, will launch today. The youth oriented daily is published by paid paper the Baltmore Sun and will have an initial circulation of 50,000. Circulation is expected to grow to 75,000 in September and even to 100,000 at the end of the year.
The paper will be available at 2500 distribution points, including 1000 to 1600 boxes, at retail outlets, on campuses and in restaurants, bars, gyms and coffee shops.
Every day b will have a section devoted to a particular theme like money, health, home decoration, music and movies.
The new paper will contain user-generated content (on ‘neary every page’) and material from Chicago free daily RedEye, published by the Chicago Tribune and owned by private investor Sam Zell who also owns the Baltimore Sun.
The website bthesite.com was already online. It has a ‘media kit‘ area with information on target group, distribution and content. The publisher is aiming at the half a million young adults living in the Baltimore area.
In Baltimore also free daily the Examiner is published with a circulation of 250,000. The Baltimore Sun has a circulation of 230,000.