Free newspaper thelondonpaper, owned by News International, announced it may pull out of the National Readership Survey (NRS). However, until a new chief executive is assigned, the decision will not be finalised, Brand Republic reported Tuesday.

Managing Director Ian Clarke urged the NRS to change its analysis method, suggesting that the current sample size should be larger and should include online surveys, as current methodologies cause data to be "misleading" and "increasingly irrelevant" for free titles. “There were 312 respondents for thelondonpaper for the last six-month survey, during which time more than 30 million papers were distributed,” he said.

NRS numbers demonstrated that the title has fewer readers than its Associated-owned rival London Lite, even though thelondonpaper distributes 100,000 more copies. Data from NRS showed that from October last year to September this year, London Lite had 1,058,000 readers, a 69,000 more readers than the londonpaper, Brand Republic reported.

thelondonpaper will invest in London YouGov surveys, which may be less prestigious but offers sample sizes three times larger than NRS surveys, according to Brand Republic.

Steve Aukland, managing director of London Lite, said News International's stance is "typical" of the publishing group, saying that "if the sample does not fit, they just want to change the currency."

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