Direct unveils Nice edition, plans for Strasbourg, Toulouse launches

Posted by Alisa Zykova on January 6, 2009 at 5:52 PM

France's Bolloré Group has launched an edition of its free daily newspaper Direct for the Nice region, with a circulation of 35,000 copies, Newspaper Innovation reported Tuesday.

Direct Matin, the publication's Paris edition that was launched in February 2007, will be increased from 50,000 to 500,000. New editions for Tolouse (at 30,000 copies) and Strasbourg are also planned for the coming months.

Bolloré Media president Jean-Christophe Thiery said that the Direct collective will increase its overall circulation to 800,000 copies, which will make it the largest free daily in France, before titles Metro and 20 Minutes, Newspaper Innovation reported.

The 800,000 copies also include the Plus issues published in Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Bordeaux. However these publications are not part of the Bolloré company.

Free dailies Metro and 20 Minutes, with eight regional editions each, have a distribution of around 730,000 copies across France. Bolloré also publishes Direct Nantes for the Bretagne area as well as a free evening paper called Direct Soir, according to Newspaper Innovation.