Chicago Sun-Times Launches Red Streak

Posted on November 15, 2002

The Chicago Sun-Times announced it will be hitting the streets each morning with a new partner at its side, Red Streak, a tabloid-style edition aimed at the Internet generation. The launch of Red Streak pits the Sun-Times squarely against rival newspaper the Chicago Tribune, which recently launched a tabloid-style edition of its own called RedEye.

"It's ironic that the Chicago Tribune, which has always extolled the virtues of the broadsheet, is now embracing the tabloid format as the wave of the future," said Chicago Sun-Times Publisher David Radler. "We're flattered that the Tribune is catching on to what the Sun-Times has known all along -- that 21st century readers want their news in a tabloid format. But in doing so, they've put their main newspaper in doubt."

Red Streak is on sale for 25 cents a copy at newsstands across the Chicagoland area. The Tribune's RedEye will also carry a cover price of 25 cents. Both publishers hope the tabloid editions will help them grab more of the 18-34 year old demographic.

"We've created Red Streak to appeal to the Internet generation, delivering news with more headlines, graphics and concise stories -- a format geared to the lifestyle of today's active city dwellers," said Sun-Times Editor-in-Chief Michael Cooke. "This publication shows above all else that we respect our readers' time and their busy lifestyles."