NY Times to rebrand Herald Tribune in its own image

The New York Times said Monday it is rebranding the Paris-based International Herald Tribune in its own image a bid to boost its international presence. In a statement, it said the 125-year-old global newspaper -- the last vestige of the New York Herald Tribune that ceased publication in 1966 -- would be rechristened the International New York Times sometime this fall. "The digital revolution has turned the New York Times from being a great American newspaper to becoming one of the world's best-known news providers," said New York Times Company chief executive Mark Thompson. "We want to exploit that opportunity," he said, adding that a new website for international readers was also in the pipeline. The International Herald Tribune (IHT) was co-owned by the New York Times and the Washington Post from 1967 until 2003, when the Times became its sole proprietor and styled it as "the global edition of the New York Times." Earlier this month the New York Times Company said it was putting the Boston Globe and other New England assets up for sale as it concentrates on developing its eponymous core product. The New York Times published an international edition from 1946 until it bought into "the Trib" in 1967 and helped oversee its development as a global brand through the use of satellite printing plants. News of the rebranding came less than three weeks after the New York Times Company group posted a 2012 profit of $133 million, compared with a loss of $39.7 million in 2011. Thompson, former chief executive of the BBC, said it was the first time that annual circulation revenues -- including fees to access New York Times content online anywhere in the world -- surpassed income from advertising. Monday's announcement made no reference to possible layoffs, but it stated that the International New York Times "will be edited from Hong Kong, Paris, London and New York." "The New York Times and its international edition, the IHT, have always been known for accurate and authoritative journalism that helps to set the agenda for global conversations and debate," said New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Junior, whose family holds ultimate control of the company. "A logical next step for us as we seek to extend our international reach is to bring these two great newspapers even closer together," he said. "As we do, we will be sure to nurture and preserve those unique qualities of the IHT that are so highly prized by its current readers."