Metro rival given go-ahead
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has given the go-ahead for a free afternoon or evening paper to be distributed to London commuters.
The announcement follows an OFT investigation into the rights of Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Metro and the Evening Standard, which has in the past claimed the exclusive right to distribute material on the London Underground and at other train stations in the capital.
OFT has ruled that such exclusivity is unjustified, clearing the way for competing publishers to utilise the London transport network to distribute an alternative free publication.
The investigation dates back to 2003, when Daily Express publisher Northern & Shell complained that it was unable to launch a free evening paper because of ANL’s exclusive distribution rights.
ANL has now offered to allow third party access to its distribution racks in stations, and to make room for third party branding.
