Changing Times In The Waikato

Media Release
4th July 2003

CHANGING TIMES IN THE WAIKATO

New Zealand's biggest selling evening daily becomes a Saturday morning newspaper tomorrow.

The Waikato Times will produce a weekend edition, to be on sale and delivered at dawn. It will continue to publish its evening editions from Monday to Friday.

Fairfax NZ Chief Executive Officer Brian Evans welcomed the change, saying the new weekend edition was an exciting prospect in a region that was developing fast. "The Waikato holds tremendous growth potential and we intend to be in step with advertisers and readers needs as the region changes.''

Plans for the new Waikato Times weekend edition were announced on May 2, the newspaper's 131st birthday _ and represent one of the biggest changes made to the Hamilton based newspaper.

Last year the Waikato Times enjoyed a 12 percent increase in readership -the largest increase of any major daily in the country. But Editor Venetia Sherson said it was appreciated readers wanted to plan their weekend around their newspaper. For that to happen they needed an earlier weekend Waikato Times.

The result is a new six section weekend edition with standalone sections for world, business, sport and racing.

Released on behalf of Fairfax New Zealand Ltd by Donovan Boyd Communications Ltd.

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