Financial Times

The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. It is regarded as a newspaper of high repute, and has moved in recent years to become the most upmarket newspaper in Britain.

History in Detail

First published in 1888 as a four-page newspaper, the Financial Times' initial readership was the financial community of the City of London. The Financial Times soon established itself as the sober but reliable "stockbroker's Bible", with its only rival being the slightly older and more daring Financial News. In 1893, the FT turned salmon pink - a masterstroke that made it immediately distinguishable from its competitor. From their initial rivalry, the two papers merged in 1945 to form a single six-page newspaper. The Financial Times brought with it a higher circulation, while the Financial News provided enormous editorial talent.

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Over the years, the newspaper grew in size, readership and breadth of

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coverage. It also established a network of correspondents in major cities around the world, reflecting early moves in the world economy towards globalisation.

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As cross-border trade and capital flows increased rapidly during the '70s,so the FT began a programme of international expansion, facilitated by developments in technology and the growing acceptance of English as the international language of business.

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On January 1st, 1979, the first FT to be printed outside the UK rolled off the presses in Frankfurt. Since then, with its greatly increased international coverage, the FT has become a truly global business newspaper, printed in 18 locations worldwide, with 3 international editions to serve the needs of its readers in the UK, Continental Europe, the US and Asia.

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The European edition is distributed in Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is printed Monday to Saturday at 5 strategically located print centres across Europe. Thanks to its extensive network of correspondents reporting from all the political and commercial nerve centres of Europe, the FT is widely regarded to be the authority on the European Union, the Euro, and European corporate news.

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In September 1998, the FT became the first UK-based newspaper to sell more copies internationally than within the UK. Worldwide circulation stands at 437,156 (Source: ABC Jan - June 2001), with global readership estimated at over 1.6 million people in more than 140 countries.

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