The title’s readership of mainly commuters deserted the capital in March 2020 following government advice to work from home where possible and avoid all non-essential contact and travel.
City A.M. has continued to publish news on its website during the pandemic but its print edition is due to return on Monday 20 September.
The last print issue was published on 20 March 2020, three days before the first coronavirus lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Press Gazette reported that staff were told on Thursday (2 September) and the publication spoke to City A.M. chief executive Jens Torpe about the move.
He said “now is the right time to come back” and that he was “optimistic” considering that London Underground usage had continued to rise in August, even though it was the traditionally quieter summer holiday period.
City A.M. chief operating officer Harry Owen posted on LinkedIn: “It’s not every day you get to launch a daily newspaper into the UK print market – let alone the same one twice! 16 years ago we launched City A.M. and today we announced to our team we will do it again on 20 September.
“The entire City A.M. team has been exceptional for the last 18 months, both editorial and commercial – the best collaboration I’ve seen in 20 years – and not least a massive thanks to our commercial partners that we are bringing City A.M. back – they know who they are!”
City A.M. managing director Lawson Muncaster also posted about the print return on LinkedIn, describing it as “the most important announcement in our history”.
“We have seen in our short history, the financial meltdown, Brexit, and Covid. We have had to dig deep, but testament to our outstanding family, we are ready.”
City A.M. had a certified distribution of 85,738 copies a day in February 2020, according to newspaper ABCs. Torpe told Press Gazette the aim was for the title’s print distribution to return to these levels within a month of going live.
To help achieve this – as continued flexible working at many businesses will likely keep commuter numbers below their pre-pandemic level – there will be at least 100 more distribution points in the outer commuter belt.
