The Burmese government’s News and Periodicals Enterprise (NPE) said at a press conference in Naypyidaw on Monday that seven publishers who originally applied to open private daily newspapers have abandoned their plans and returned their licenses to the Ministry of Information.

NPE director Win Zaw Htay said the seven dailies that never went into circulation were: D-Wave Daily, Khit Moe Daily, Stop-Press Daily, Daily Eleven News, Myanmar Daily, Warazein Daily and People Net Daily.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy said the party had withdrawn from an original plan to publish the D-Wave Daily, the license for which was approved with Suu Kyi as publisher, due to financial shortcomings.

Currently, there are 18 private daily newspapers in circulation in Burma. Five others have until 31 March 2014 to get their presses rolling or they too may have to relinquish their licenses.

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Meanwhile, state-run The New Light of Myanmar has announced a joint-venture with Burmese firm Global Direct Link to expand their current daily into a broadsheet.

In an announcement on 13 January, the New Light said the Ministry of Information will continue to hold 51 percent of shares while its new partner will take 49 percent.

The new-look periodical is due to hit news-stands within two to three months and will feature what ministry officials at the press conference termed a “change in form and content”.

Meanwhile, The Irrawaddy Publishing Group, formerly based in exile in Thailand, has launched a weekly news journal in Burmese to accompany its English-language monthly magazine.

During a launch on 2 January, The Irrawaddy was sold out at news-stands in Rangoon and Mandalay, its website said.

For more background: http://www.dvb.no/news/challenges-ahead-as-burma%E2%80%99s-newspapers-go-daily/27356