THE Courier newspaper has launched its first-ever lifestyle supplement – C2 – which is to be published weekly by the Dundee-based outfit.
The debut issue, on Tuesday, comprised an eight-page newsprint tabloid. It will appear each Tuesday as an insert and predominantly focus on food, drink, family, health and garden issues.
The move continues various initiatives by the DC Thomson-owned title, including consolidating its prominent puzzles, cartoon, crossword and horoscope section on its inside back page, below the overspill of sport from the back page.
The paper is also running a series of in-house editorial and advertising promotions – pointing out that The Courier is read every day by 180,000 people – “making it the region’s most popular daily newspaper across Dundee, Perth, Perthshire, Fife and Angus and the Mearns”.
The newspaper’s evolution, under long-serving editor, Bill Hutcheon, was substantially moved forward 20 months ago with a rationalising programme to give maximum editorial usage of the colour pages available from the printing press.
Births, Marriages and Deaths were moved from page two to page ten, and page two was given over wholly to TV and radio listings.
The Courier has also introduced a new columnist – one of Scotland’s favourite football personalities, Jim Leishman. The column – ‘Off the Leish’ – is being given star treatment with a half-page spot.
The paper now runs a team of columnists which include Tony Troon, now retired and formerly of The Scotsman; Jim Crumley, past editor of the Stirling Observer and, also, formerly of The Scotsman, who is now a well-known writer and broadcaster; and staff feature writer, Helen Brown.
According to the most recent Audit Bureau of Circulation figures, The Courier, which has a cover price of 46p, sold an average 65,871 copies, Monday to Friday, during May. Its average Saturday circulation figure during May was 68,751.
