Media Release
4th July 2003
CHANGING TIMES IN THE WAIKATO
New Zealand's biggest selling evening daily becomes a Saturday morning newspaper tomorrow.
The Waikato Times will produce a weekend edition, to be on sale and delivered at dawn. It will continue to publish its
evening editions from Monday to Friday.
Fairfax NZ Chief Executive Officer Brian Evans welcomed the change, saying the new weekend edition was an exciting
prospect in a region that was developing fast. "The Waikato holds tremendous growth potential and we intend to be in
step with advertisers and readers needs as the region changes.''
Plans for the new Waikato Times weekend edition were announced on May 2, the newspaper's 131st birthday _ and represent
one of the biggest changes made to the Hamilton based newspaper.
Last year the Waikato Times enjoyed a 12 percent increase in readership -the largest increase of any major daily in the
country. But Editor Venetia Sherson said it was appreciated readers wanted to plan their weekend around their newspaper.
For that to happen they needed an earlier weekend Waikato Times.
The result is a new six section weekend edition with standalone sections for world, business, sport and racing.
Released on behalf of Fairfax New Zealand Ltd by Donovan Boyd Communications Ltd.