Shrink-wrapped solution for Australian newspapers

Size isn't everything for Fairfax and News Limited which have both admitted to plans of reducing the size of their broadsheet newspapers.

Fairfax Media, which announced plans to shrink its broadsheets, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, last year has so far delayed the process and not yet announced a definite date or timeframe when the change will become effective.

"When we are ready to proceed, we will, but are not flagging a date," said a spokesman from Fairfax Media.

John Hartigan, chairman and chief executive of News Limited, said that a change to the format of its national broadsheet, The Australian, was on the cards after production problems were resolved at each of its six printing facilities.

He told media that: "Because The Australian is printed at six plants around the country it requires very different plant requirements than the majority of state-based newspapers.

'It is a very big issue. We're constantly looking at it."

Hartigan was currently unable to specify a date for the project, which is still in discussion.

"If I said two years it would give support to the fact that we're doing it," he said. "The reality is that while we have got it constantly under discussion it is not something we've made a decision on."