Standard drops MetroLife

The decision to drop the Thursday supplement has been met by disdain by agency press directors, who fear it may not be the last cutback on the title.

Steve Goodman, group press director at MediaCom, said he was surprised and disappointed at the imminent closure.

"MetroLife was a pretty strong offering and something I considered to be real added value," said Goodman. "The Evening Standard seems to have been going through a few problems of late and this is one of a number of cost-cutting exercises that we are likely to see over the next few months."

Dominic Williams, head of press at Carat, agreed, saying: "It's a shame, and I don't think it will benefit circulation because it is taking something away – the Evening Standard have got to do something to keep investing in their product."

Tara Marus, board director at BJK&E, believes the large number of listing supplements in the weekend press and the immediacy of online has forced the Evening Standard to redirect its efforts. She added that the title was playing to its strength of having a strong online presence rather than incurring printing and distribution costs.

Moving the business pages to the back of the paper also brought a mixed reaction from agencies.

Goodman suggested that tucking the City section away at the back could alienate some of the paper's business readership.

"It was a part of the paper that made it special and gave it a lift – now it will be buried towards the back and have more of a personal finance feel," he said.

One press director believes the move is intended to generate higher advertising revenue.

"With the pink pages they could never produce colour and colour is where the ad revenue is."