The London Evening Standard is to drop its midday News Extra edition to focus on distribution of more up-to-date news for the evening commuter market, leading to up to 20 job losses.
From 4 January, the Evening Standard's first edition will be the West End Final, hitting the street from 2pm.
The Evening Standard said that it was unable to deliver the most up-to-date news because the News Extra first edition, which delivers about half of the 600,000 total daily distribution, goes to press at 9am to hit the streets at midday.
Under the new system, the full 600,000 run will be delivered on up to four printing presses – up from the current two – starting from about 12.30pm, which will give editorial staff almost four more hours to deliver stories.
Stories will be updated throughout the afternoon with a "slip" edition out in the late afternoon.
"This decision will mean our news is even more up to date, and more copies will be available for home-going commuters," said the Evening Standard's editor, Geordie Greig. "We are delighted to continue to be a pioneering newspaper and happy to be able to give all our readers an even better quality newspaper."
The changes will lead to the loss of up to 20 jobs editorial and production. However, Greig said that the shift in working patterns would allow the remaining staff to "be human again".
Editorial shifts currently begin as early as 3am for journalists filing, subbing and editing stories for the 9am deadline.
"It is the end of the dawn patrol in terms of our working pattern," Greig added. "It will mean a transformation of lifestyle and equally importantly a huge increase in the quality of the newspaper for more readers."
Greig also added that the shift to free distribution had had a dramatic impact in some areas, such as Holborn, which has gone from a 700 paid-for circulation to more than 10,000 a day under free distribution.
"The demand for the paper has been exponential," he added, saying that he was "very happy" with circulation maintained at 600,000 for the foreseeable future.
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