Search »

PDF Newspapers Catching on in Europe, Canada

PDF editions of newspapers, initially developed at the Financial Times of London, are rolling out in Canada, the UK and elsewhere, Media Life reports.

Due to portability, convenient size (8.5 by 11 when printed) and low costs, publishers see real potential in PDFs for reaching readers and providing exposure to advertisers. Subscribers receive them by email, either on their computer or PDAs.

The Toronto Star’s PDF, dubbed the Star PM, launched in September and goes out at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It’s 12 pages. There’s also a 4:15 edition with business updates.

The Ottawa RushHour is a hybrid publication, with a 1 p.m. weekday PDF edition sent by email and a 4 p.m. edition that’s handed out by street hawkers. It runs 12 to 20 pages and some 8,000 copies are distributed. The hawkers distribute 80 percent of the printed copies and 70 percent of the remaining copies are picked up from boxes.

Among British papers using the new free print-and-read service are The Guardian, whose G24 features Guardian Unlimited news updated every 15 minutes, and The Telegraph’s Telegraph PM, a 10-page, multimedia newspaper published weekday afternoons at 4 and 5:30.