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FT moves Alphaville editor to New York in bid to expand global coverage

Posted: 21/09/09 By: Judith Townend

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Alphaville, the Financial Times' financial blog, will now be edited from New York although the core team is to stay based in London, the company announced today.

Markets Live, a live online discussion for registered users managed by Alphaville journalists, has now been extended to the US with the promise of 'real-time financial commentary on Wall Street'.

Paul Murphy, editor of FT Alphaville has relocated to run the page from the FT's New York bureau, while the FT's senior stock market correspondent Neil Hume will manage the core FT Alphaville team in London.

Markets Live, currently held at 11am and 12pm GMT, will now also be followed by a US slot at 4pm GMT (11am EST).

The '6AM Cut' email, a news briefing service for financial professionals, will also be given an American edition, with another planned for Asia.

"As FT Alphaville has continued to grow we have been working to expand our coverage both geographically and by asset class. Developing our US coverage further is a natural next step, especially when blogging and new media in general is so much more advanced in the US than other parts of the globe," said Paul Murphy, in a release announcing the changes.

"While we feel we have lots to offer our US readers, we are also aware that we have a lot to learn from the vibrant American financial media scene."

The FT is looking to expand coverage to offer high-quality journalism around the world, said Rob Grimshaw, managing director of FT.com.

"The US is FT.com's biggest market, with more subscribers and registered users than in any other region, and we see a great deal of potential in building on that substantial base of loyal US readers.

"As one of the FT's most progressive digital teams, we are confident FT Alphaville's move will increase our overall appeal in the US."

Last October, FT.com launched the free-to-access members club for Alphaville, the Long Room, with plans for targeted advertising. Most recently it launched a community and news section - separate to Alphaville - the Trading Room.

Speaking at an Association of Online Publishers (AOP) event on managing change in digital businesses earlier this month, Mary Beth Christie, FT.com's head of product management, said that recent online launches have already 'more than paid for themselves'.

Development costs for FT.com's recently launched iPhone app and the 'click and save' feature on article pages had been recouped largely from advertising revenue around the products, she said.

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