The new BT Weekend: A double bill to lift your weekend reading

Singapore

THE Business Times (BT) will unveil a new look and content reboot for its weekend edition this Saturday.

The Business Times Weekend retains the compact size that readers are familiar with, but offers a new format - the magazine supplement.

The standalone magazine, called Weekend, will be wrapped around the main newspaper, which will also be revamped.

The all-new Weekend magazine will focus on luxury lifestyles. The magazine's cover story will be a feature inspired by current trends and talking points.

Readers can look forward to staples such as The Rolex Interview, which profiles quiet achievers and dynamic individuals in their respective fields.

The magazine will also have weekly fashion spreads, snappy perspectives on travel, food and design, as well as a nostalgic look at old Singapore.

BT editor Alvin Tay said: "To celebrate BT's 40th anniversary, we felt that it would be timely to revamp the BT Weekend. With the addition of a magazine supplement, we are introducing a distinctly different editorial format designed to wow our discerning readers and woo our advertisers and sponsors.

"Yet it will retain BT's DNA and identity, keeping the paper as the premium business read for corporate leaders and decision-makers."

BT executive editor Wong Wei Kong added: "We're treating our readers to a weekend double bill, every week. The new Weekend magazine, with its lifestyle-focused features and interviews, and servings of travel, dining, shopping and high fashion, will entertain and relax.

"The new Saturday main paper, with its long-form news features and opinion columns, will stimulate and provoke, while still keeping readers up to date with the most important business news. Taken together, we hope our new offering will provide readers with a pleasurable read not just over the weekend but also into the week."

The refreshed main newspaper will offer a new approach to news and features, tailored for the weekend reader.

Instead of the traditional front-page news spread, BT's newspaper cover story on Saturdays will be a long-form feature called Brunch. Brunch will serve up a leisurely and satisfying read for the weekend, and leave readers with plenty to think about over the coming week.

The Saturday newspaper will also come with a regular Inside View column - a BT correspondent's commentary on the week's most significant event - while the Life & Culture section will carry regular columns that explore tech, trivia, sports and the working life.

The all-new BT Weekend will also be available as an e-paper. The BT homepage will display both the new Weekend magazine and main paper content, as well as breaking news.

A new online BT Lifestyle section will contain stories from not just the weekend editions, but throughout the week.

On Fridays, readers can still enjoy BT's Lifestyle section, an indispensable guide to the latest eateries, shopping and design trends in town. Driving enthusiasts will now get their auto fix a day earlier on Friday, with reviews of the latest cars in a refreshed motoring section. The popular Dining Out reviews will now appear on Friday instead of Monday, a boon for foodies planning their weekend outings.

In the same section, arts buffs can continue to enjoy BT's authoritative take on the theatre and gallery scene, as well as movie and music reviews.

From Oct 8 to Nov 30, subscribers stand to receive a complimentary Fitbit Alta Fitness Wristband (worth S$198) as well as a one-year digital access to The Peak Singapore (worth S$366) when they subscribe to a three-year plan with BT.

Readers may also want to consider the BT All-in-One Package, priced at S$29.90, down from the usual price of S$34.90. This package allows readers access to business news on print and online, and subscribers can log on through four mobile devices simultaneously. Visit btsub.sg/offer for for more details.

Readers also stand to win exclusive dining deals, and for those constantly on the go, Grab will provide S$5 off Grab Taxi rides. Look out for the dining deals and Grab coupon codes appearing in the ads in BT Weekend on Oct 8, 15, 22 and 29.