The Daily Telegraph, Conrad Black’s UK national daily newspaper, which hails from Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands these days, and launched an electronic version of the paper on the World Wide Web six months ago, says it will launch a weekend edition within the next three months. It then plans to to develop personalised editions of the paper. Readers will be able to request particular subjects of interest and the relevant articles will be sent to them via electronic mail – but charges for this service are yet to be fixed. The paper has also released Internet access software for all those Telegraph readers that are dying to read the electronic version but don’t yet have Internet access. The starter pack includes a customised Netscape browser, a user manual and Internet access via London-based service provider Demon Internet Ltd. The software costs ú25, users then pay an ú15 flat rate charge for Internet access through Demon. The starter pack had been planned for December (CI No 2,546) but was then postponed although no reasons were given for the delay. Since its launch six months ago The Electronic Telegraph has amassed 90,000 registered users, claims Hugo Drayton, marketing manager for the newspaper, with 10,000 to 15,000 people accessing its pages every day. Drayton says the venture is on target to break even within the next six months but would not say exactly when it would become profitable. However, outside advertising was key to its profitability, he said. Barclays Bank Plc, The Spectator magazine – surprise surprise, since it’s also owned by Conrad Black and is a member of the Telegraph Plc group, and United Airlines Ltd are the main advertisers at the moment and the newspaper is working hard to attract further advertisers.
