The Spectator

Barometer | 16 July 2011

This week's Barometer

issue 16 July 2011

Achieving closure

The News of the World has shut after 168 years, joining a long list of defunct British newspapers. Here are some of the more notable ones:

Daily Herald Started in 1911 as a strike news sheet by the London Society of Compositors. Taken over by the TUC in 1922, in the 1930s it was briefly the world’s best-selling newspaper. Reborn as the Sun in 1964.

Daily Sketch Founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton and bought in 1920 by Lord Rothermere. Merged with the Daily Graphic in 1946, re-emerging in 1953, when the Graphic renamed itself the Sketch. Merged with Daily Mail in 1971.

Sunday Dispatch Founded in 1801, and bought by Lord Rothermere in 1903. Once the bestselling Sunday title, it failed to survive the television age, closing in 1961.

Sunday Correspondent First published in 1989, aiming to do for the Sunday market what the Independent had for dailies three years earlier. In a relaunch the following year it became the first upmarket tabloid, but it closed after 14 months.

Valuable lessons

The government promised that universities would only be able to charge more than £6,000 in tuition fees in ‘exceptional circumstances’. But when the Office of Fair Access approved fees this week it emerged that no university and only two colleges of further education will have average fees of less than £6,000. These are going to be the cheapest places to study:

Annual fees

The Manchester College £5,585
Croydon College £5,855
Blackpool and the Fylde College £6,084
London Metropolitan University £6,589
Bradford College £6,700

Or, for students willing to go overseas…

Heidelberg University £1,070
Peking University £2,540
University of Tokyo £4,390

MPs on the BBC

The BBC reneged on a promise to publish the earnings of its big stars. But these are some MPs who received payments:

Vince Cable, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special £10,000

Tristram Hunt, presenting Radio 4 programme A Tale of Two Cities £880

Diane Abbott, presenting This Week £839

Tristram Hunt, appearing on The Review Show £600

Hazel Blears, appearing on This Week £500

Hilary Benn, appearing on Any Questions £150

Source: House of Commons register

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