Metro hit by launch delay

Associated Newspapers has delayed the launch of its new free morning newspaper London Metro by one week to March 15.

The newspaper was due to launch on March 9 but has been put back because the installation of the blue boxes holding the papers in all 261 Underground stations is taking longer than expected.

London Metro head of advertising sales Charlie Bennett says: “We have had to make sure that the racks are safe and that means it has taken a little more time than we thought.”

He claims there is no problem with the racks, which are being secured to the floor of Underground stations. But it is understood that the positioning of the racks is having to be checked for safety purposes.

The initial print run for the daily newspaper has also been cut to 100,000, but there are plans to build that up to 350,000 over a six-week period.

Media Comment, page 14