"Sunday Sun" to launch very soon

[Si Hunt]

All staff currently under police investigation have their suspensions lifted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17070555

Rupert Murdoch has announced that he is to launch a new weekend tabloid, the Sun on Sunday, "very soon".

The News Corporation boss made the announcement to staff at the Sun during talks at News International's offices in Wapping, London.

Ten current and former senior staff at the paper have been arrested since November in connection with alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

Mr Murdoch lifted all staff suspensions pending police inquiries.

In an email to staff he said: "We will build on the Sun's proud heritage by launching the Sun on Sunday very soon.

"Our duty is to expand one of the world's most widely read newspapers and reach even more people than ever before. Having a winning paper is the best answer to our critics."

He said he would stay in London for the next several weeks and offer his "unwavering support".

He also said "illegal activities simply cannot and will not be tolerated" and described the recent arrests as a "source of great pain for me".

But he praised the "superb work" of Sun journalists and said "the Sun is a part of me".

A middle-ranking News International journalist told the BBC the mood amongst colleagues was "chaos in a good and bad way. Mainly good actually. People really happy at fighting talk".

Well done everyone.



A dispicable bastard, yesterday.

Si.

[Jason Thompson]

So, in summary:

The previous Sunday sister paper to the Sun folded, so we'll just make another one run by pretty much the same people.

Excellent...

[Rob McCow]

It's frustrating, because what should have been a punitive measure has turned into a business opportunity.

It's sad that no-body else was able to fill the 'gap' in the market.

[Si Hunt]

Well they never really had a chance. It takes time to launch a new newspaper, and Murdoch had this planned before the NOTW even closed.

What's sad is that this country uncovered new depths to the wretchedness and evil of the press, yet did nothing to stop a brand new newspaper launching in the image of one that was so shamed it had to close.

Why isn't there a license required to publish a newspaper, and why wasn't it refused on decency and moral grounds to this new rag?

Si.

[SiHart]

Well who'd have thought it, eh?

Obviously none of what's gone on has meant a great deal toy yer average Sun reader, who is carrying on regardless. let us not forget this is the paper that only this week printed a big picture of the bath Whitney Houston died in FFS, on the front page... like that's news.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I think they should have just called it The Wews of the Norld and be done with it.

[Stuart Wallis]

Well who'd have thought it, eh?

Obviously none of what's gone on has meant a great deal toy yer average Sun reader, who is carrying on regardless. let us not forget this is the paper that only this week printed a big picture of the bath Whitney Houston died in FFS, on the front page... like that's news.

And the same paper which showed Michael Jackson's corpse on a hospital gurney. The more I see and hear of this Murdoch character and his corporation's doings...

[Larry]

Well they never really had a chance. It takes time to launch a new newspaper, and Murdoch had this planned before the NOTW even closed.



Si.

agreed - the fact that the NOTW, was such a hugely popular and money making paper there was simply no way Murdoch, was going to allow the paper to close without having a ready made replacement. However he may try to tart it up The Sun on Sunday, is effectively the NOTW in all but name.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Branding is everything. The News of the World had a tainted brand. Who cares if the Sun on Sunday will be the same paper by the same people.

Are people really that daft to be taken in? Of course they are ...

[Llordllama]

Do people still read dead tree media? Haven't bought a paper this decade. Or indeed for most of the last one.

Still as a former paperboy I must say the idea of less papers on a Sunday for a bit sounded like a good idea. Although as Mike says above, branding is everything. The King is dead. Long live the King.

[Si Hunt]

He literally did. The name "The Sun On Sunday" was officially registered just before the NOTW closed. He's having a laugh isn't he?

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Still as a former paperboy I must say the idea of less papers on a Sunday for a bit sounded like a good idea.

I remember sunday paper rounds had to be done in two lots the papers were so heavy. To post the Sunday Times through a letter box used to take 5 minutes, you had to separate out all the individual sections and post them one at a time. Was always amused by the people who got a respectable sunday paper but also had the News of the World tucked inside. I wonder which one really got read.