Growing demand for timesofmalta.com services

The Times online newspaper service, timesofmalta.com, is growing in popularity as different channels resort to it for news and other information needs.

Webmaster Phelim Cavlan said the site, which has been live for over six years, now serves more people and channels than ever before. It is visited by an average of 20,000 unique visitors daily and feeds news to Melita Cable, Go Mobile, Smartv and Vodafone.

In line with The Times philosophy, although immediacy is essential, facts are sacred. This has been the hallmark of its success.

Mr Cavlan said that as well as news content, timesofmalta.com is responsible for the provision and maintenance of an online archive stretching back to the 1930s.

It is also responsible for the production of front page prints for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries which are on sale to the public.

Moreover, the introduction of online classified adverts in a dedicated site in July has already carried over 55,000 adverts - the equivalent to between 1,100 and 1,400 new classified adverts online on Sundays and 120 to 300 new classified adverts on every other day.

Classified adverts, as well as news and correspondence pages, now have a wider audience and letters to the editor from Maltese living abroad have increased since timesofmalta.com was launched.

Mr Cavlan said that 85 per cent of the timesofmalta.com readership is from Malta and Gozo. However, countries like Canada, Australia and the UK are well represented in terms of readership.

Surprisingly, according to recent research, the 26 - 35 age group is stronger in terms of readership than 18 to 25.

The majority of readers appear to be office workers who have access to a computer during their working day. The site has also become an important tool for the Maltese who work overseas to keep in touch with current affairs in Malta.

timesofmalta.com also issues a morning newsletter which has more than 4,500 subscribers.