NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Americans talk about the British Invasion, they often mean the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
A new wave is on its way, but from Fleet Street.
In the last month, several venerated British news operations, including the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC.UL: Quote, Profile, Research), The Times of London, the Guardian newspaper and the Economist magazine unveiled plans to expand in the United States.
The strategy, they say, is to offer an international viewpoint the U.S. media does not provide and capture a new source of advertising focused on affluent, well-educated young professionals with a cosmopolitan take on the world.
"I think there has been a bit of a retreat from covering serious global news," said Jeremy Hillman, the editor of BBC World and former New York bureau chief.
Hillman cited the aftermath of an earthquake that struck Pakistan in October 2005. The BBC, he said, covered the story for months, reporting over the winter on victims who were left with little shelter and medical aid in the mountains.
U.S. television networks covered the quake, "but moved on very, very quickly even as the real crisis really kicked in," he said. U.S. media have also devoted little coverage to investigations into corruption in Kenya, he added.
But the British media influx puzzles some media experts, who say the U.S. market is inhospitable to newcomers.
Even the most established U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, from the Washington Post to cable new channel CNN, have seen profits hurt by declining circulation and viewership, weak advertising and free news online.
U.S. daily newspaper circulation averaged 45.4 million readers in the six months that ended March 31, down 2.6 percent from a year ago, according to the Newspaper Association of America.
"The agenda is hard to figure. It's certainly not going to be any kind of big financial impact on anything," said Edward Atorino, an analyst at Benchmark Capital. "It's a little bit of an ego trip."
IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE TIMES ...
Another motive is stiff competition at home, said Robert Thomson, editor of The Times, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NWS.N: Quote, Profile, Research). With nearly a dozen daily papers and multiple foreign bureaus, London is one of the most competitive news markets in the world, he said.
"Once people in this market get wind of another paper doing something, then you have ... a lot of copy-catting," he said.
British media outlets are aware of the risks. Their executives say they are catering to a small but relatively wealthy audience that could prove to be profitable.
"If you're selling even 15,000 or 20,000 copies ... to a very desirable demographic in the States, that's a hell of a premium," Thomson said.
The Times made its leap after seeing strong demand from U.S. Internet audiences. Its Web site gets more than 3 million unique visits a month from U.S. Internet users, about the same as it gets from Britain, Thomson said.
The print U.S. edition of The Times is available in New York City and New Jersey. The paper joins Pearson's (PSON.L: Quote, Profile, Research) Financial Times and a weekly edition of the Guardian in chasing U.S. readers.
The Times plans to solicit U.S. advertising, but in its June 6 debut issue, all the ads were particularly British.
One promotion for custom tailor Asha's promises "bespoke suits for men and ladies" from 129 pounds ($232) in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham. An ad from IrishFerries.com touts one-way fares to Ireland for 59 pounds.
CRICKET IN MANHATTAN
The Times' premiere edition headlines a U.S. stock market tumble, an anniversary exhibit of Picasso's work in Spain and a profile of America's World Cup soccer goal keeper. The top local story is on the latest sport to hit Manhattan: cricket.
The BBC plans to increase distribution of its 24-hour World news channel on U.S. cable and satellite, and will launch a morning program in July to compete in a market crowded with early news and talk shows on U.S. networks NBC, ABC and CBS (CBSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research). General Electric Co. (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) owns NBC, while Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) controls ABC.
The Guardian newspaper will expand its U.S. presence beyond a weekly edition, said spokesman Shaun Williams. One idea is to set up kiosks where customers can push a button and print a paper. He declined to provide further details.
The Economist hopes to double its U.S. circulation to 1.2 million in five years by seeking new subscribers in local markets. The magazine increased its subscriptions in the Baltimore area from 4,000 to 5,000 copies in a six-week promotion, said Global Marketing Director Susan Clark.
It launched a similar program in Denver, and plans to try out three more cities by April 2007, she said. Among the possibilities are Boston and San Francisco.
