The year 2017 has been quite a terrible one for Singapore's print media industry.

In late August this year, the painful decision was made by broadcasting giant Mediacorp to stop printing its flagship English newspaper Today.

Last year, in October, My Paper had merged into The New Paper, which would in turn become a free newspaper aimed at competing against Today.

And just over a year after the new New Paper hit the stands as a six-day-a-week free newspaper from Dec. 1, 2016, Singapore Press Holdings announced it will stop publishing its Saturday edition.

In a press release issued Tuesday, the reason for choosing to do so was explained only by a quote from TNP's editor Eugene Wee:

"A large percentage of our readers are PMETs who work 5-day work weeks. Furthermore, Saturday travel patterns of readers are getting more varied as people go about their weekend activities. Hence, we have decided to focus our resources on weekdays to give our readers the best of news and lifestyle stories."

It didn't share any information on Saturday copy circulation, however.

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Here's their press release in full:

The New Paper to become a five-day publication

Singapore, 19 December 2017 - Starting 2018, The New Paper (TNP) will become a five-day publication on weekdays as it ceases its Saturday edition.

Since its merger with My Paper in 2016, TNP has been a free newspaper targeting professionals, executives, managers and technicians (PMETs) with news on local affairs, economy, property, business, sports and bread and butter issues. It has a daily average circulation of 300,000 copies.

Eugene Wee, editor of TNP, said:"A large percentage of our readers are PMETs who work 5-day work weeks. Furthermore, Saturday travel patterns of readers are getting more varied as people go about their weekend activities. Hence, we have decided to focus our resources on weekdays to give our readers the best of news and lifestyle stories."

The last Saturday edition of The New Paper will be on 30 December 2017. The weekday editions will continue to be available in both print and online.

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Co. Regn. No. 198402868E

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Top photo: file