Scarborough Evening News to relaunch as weekly

Johnston Press, publisher of the Scarborough Evening News, announced today plans to re-launch the newspaper as a weekly in a move to what it calls “platform neutral” publishing.
[Four other Johnston dailies will also go weekly - see update below]

It said: "The re-launch scheduled for late May will comprise the creation of a new 'platform neutral' newsroom at Scarborough with significant investment in both print and digital publishing, enabling seven days per week publishing online and on a new iPad app with news updates around the clock and comprehensive online sport and events coverage.

"This will be combined with a bumper print edition of a newly designed newspaper once per week on Thursdays, giving readers all of the key sections they currently enjoy as well as some exciting new developments.

"At the same time the websites will receive a light touch re-launch with improvements to the home page and improved social networking and commenting functionality. A deeper change is planned for July 2012. As well as the launch of the new dedicated iPad app the plans will see a substantial investment in marketing for the re-launch of online and print publishing."

Commenting on the re-launch initiative, Stephen Plews, managing director, said: “Our publishing strategy going forward will ensure that we give our local audiences what they want. While providing our existing audiences with an even better product, both in print and online, we will extend our audience by increasing our online content and making it easier to access in the most relevant ways as technologies continue to evolve. Our focus has always been on local and we will increasingly benefit from that core expertise with the rapid growth in both social media and in demand for access from mobile devices.”

• UPDATE: Other Johnston Press dailies that are swiching to weekly publication by the end of May are the Halifax Courier, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Peterborough Evening Telegraph and the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Johnston Press said it would launch new iPad versions of the titles, as well as 24-hour news coverage online.