Regional publisher removes paywall

The publisher of Britain's largest-selling regional newspaper, the Express & Star, has changed its online payment strategy. It is removing its website paywall in favour of encouraging readers to purchase iPad and iPhone apps. Its two overlapping titles in Wolverhampton and Shropshire started to charge for access in April last year. Breaking news was free to access but the rest of the content went behind a paywall. Phil Inman, managing director of the Midland News Association (MNA), described the feedback from customers using the new apps as "positive." The apps, which provide users with pdf versions of the papers, cost £1.49 a week or £3.99 a month. MNA is the second UK regional publisher to abandon paywalls. Johnston Press took down paywalls at six of its titles in April 2010 after a three-month trial. MNA made two rounds of job cuts last year, laying off 95 people in April and a further 50 in December.