HK tabloid shuts with plans for another revamp

HONG KONG: Sing Tao Holdings is repositioning the iMail to focus on business, a year after the English-language tabloid replaced the Hong Kong Standard. Sing Tao, which bought the tabloid from investment bank Lazard Feres, laid off 100 staff across the group, including editor Andrew Lynch and sales and marketing director Michael Denmark. Sources said Sing Tao was restructuring to maximise earnings from iMail's legal notices advertising before it expires next year. The restructuring was aimed at maximising resources across the group including merging the sales functions under new group sales director Yolanda Lo. New editor Timothy Jim said: "If we don't do this now we'll find ourselves in a more difficult situation next year." Media agencies were surprised by iMail's sudden closure, saying the tabloid should have been given another year. However others like Dominic Ng, CIA Hong Kong director, added: "I don't think it did enough to differentiate itself." The sweeping changes were preceded by the rollout of a multi-million dollar campaign for the Daily by McCann-Erickson. A group spokesman said: "Its positioning is different because we have comprehensive news coverage, providing any information people are looking for." - Additional reporting by Christy Liu.

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