News International drops bulks for The Times

The move follows that of other publishers, such as Associated Newspapers and the Financial Times, which have moved to lessen their reliance on bulks. These are traditionally distributed for free to the reader via airlines, hotels and other channels after being sold for a nominal fee.

A spokesperson for the publisher says: “News International is committed to producing the best journalism and believes in charging a fair price for that journalism. We have taken this decision to reflect the value we believe our newspapers offer.”

The initiative could also be part of the long-trailed strategy to start charging for content on the Times website.

Due to contract notice periods, this change will begin to take effect in the figures the ABC report from January 2010.