FT cutting mid-week sports section amid redesign

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 30-Mar-07, 11:55

LONDON - The Financial Times is dropping its daily sports coverage to weekends and Mondays only, to make room for increased global news coverage, from next month.

The sports section of the FT, first introduced as a daily in 2000, will be cut to three days from the week beginning April 23.

However, sports reporters Matthew Engel and Simon Kuper are reported to be remaining with the paper.

The FT first introduced a weekly two-page sports section back in 1997 when Lowe Howard-Spink's media arm, Western International Media, persuaded the paper to include the section, which allowed them to advertise the Vauxhall Omega.

At the time the broadsheet was criticised for sacrificing editorial integrity for higher revenue.

Earlier this week the FT announced it was to partner with First Direct bank to launch a series of four investment podcasts.

The FT tie-in is a direct result of First Direct customer feedback. Users had requested independent financial information to aid their banking decisions.