The free newspapers

A relatively recent phenomenon in the newspaper industry has been the free morning papers. Free weekly papers are fairly common, supported by advertising and carrying little in the way of editorial. But now, with the launch of Associated's 'Metro' and similar titles in many metropolitan areas, these newspapers thrive on public transport and in busy cities. Giving editorial almost as good as the paid-for dailies, are these a threat to the established titles?
Free evening papers were bound to also arrive. In London, News International's thelondonpaper and Associated's standard lite(now known as london lite and still published by Associated) were launched within weeks of each other. Currently, neither has a contract to use tube stations for distribution, so employ staff on main access routes to tube stations. It's thought that once the London Underground offer one of the two publishers a distribution contract, that may sound the death-knell for the other; currently, it's doubtful if either make their publishers any money.
The evening standard has, meanwhile, reinvented itself as a premium newspaper - yet even it gives itself away after 8.00pm in central London