Huge opportunity for versioned newspapers in London ! But the window is going to close very quickly.

Transport for London launches coveted tender for freesheet distribution @printweek.com "Adam Hooker, printweek.com, 27 May 2009

Transport for London (TFL) has launched a tender process for its morning freesheet slot, which could see The Metro ousted from tube stations for the first time in 11 years.

The new contract is for a shortened seven-year cycle and allows the winner to place newspapers in the 250 tube and 20 bus stations across the TFL region between 6am and 11.30am Monday to Friday.

A tender of initial "expressions of interest" went up on the Official Journal of the European Union yesterday.

Here's the pitch to the Metro, Murdoch or anyone else in the game.
1. A 16 to 24 page tabloid.
2. Pages 1 and 2 are the News in Brief.
3. Pages 3 and 4 are the Sports Highlights.
4. Pages 5 and 6 are feature stories versioned by Metro stations
5. Pages 7 and 8 are reserved for public service stories from local councils, National Health or other government communications.
6. p. 9 through 16 - on slow days for local advertising by Metro Station.
7. 16 to 24 to ??? if and when advertising grows.

Win - Win - Win - Win - Win - Win. Usually win-win-win gets the deal.
1. TFL wins by having an inexpensive way to reach everyone and to communicate different messages at different stations.
2. Oce and OPM/PSPs win by the clicks and expanding their printernet presence.
3. The publisher wins becuase of the ad revenue.
4. Local politicians win with a cheap, very fast way to communicate with their constituents.
5. The local communities win by enabling local economic activity.
6.The customers win by having to something to read on the commute, fold down, put in the pocket, then read again at lunch.

If the stars are right, it means six wins. You only need to three wins to pass the "why wouldn't I do that" standard.

The Path to Scale
Start with four representative communities - Metro Stations. If it works there keeping adding to likely stations. Eventually you can spread into school based distribution and help fix the high school education problem.