— Informa: Providence Equity Partners and Carlyle Group have made “excellent progress” in finding money to finance a £3 billion acquisition of the Lloyd’s List publisher, The Times says. Blackstone could join in, with a number of banks called on to buy Informa’s £1.2 billion debt, which increased after it bought research firm.
— Irish paper goes free: Irish regional weekly paper Offaly Independent is switching from paid to a freesheet, after recently switching its publication day and experimenting with limited free distribution. The switch will come with a revamp for the paper’s website, Tribune.ie says.
— Danish freesheet closing: However, Denmark’s biggest paper, Nyhedsavisen, which launched as a freesheet on the model of Iceland’s “quality freesheet” Frettabladid two years ago, has shut, blaming market downturn and the worsening economic outlook. Kristine Lowe says the publisher lost 700 million DKK (£76 million) on the venture.
— Herald multimedia: Gannett/Newsquest’s Scottish-based Herald-Times newspaper group has integrated the picture desks of its Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times titles in to a single “group multimedia desk”, with photographers expected to service the three titles and capture audio and video. Editorial Photographers UK, however, says industrial action is on the cards.