RedEye cutting down to weekly format

Beginning next month, the Chicago Tribune’s free daily commuter newspaper RedEye will cut down to a weekly format, with a Thursday edition focusing on food and entertainment.

The final daily issue of the 15-year-old publication will come out Feb. 3, and the weekly format will debut Feb. 9, according to Tribune spokeswoman Dana Meyer.

An unspecified number of layoffs were expected to accompany the shift. “We are planning to restructure our organization to align with our new focus and strategy, which will impact some positions,” Meyer said in an email.

The weekly edition will have “more pages, ads and content” than the current format, and there are no “immediate plans” to put RedEye’s online content — which will be integrated into the Tribune’s website — behind the Tribune’s paywall, Meyer said. RedEye will maintain its social media accounts and email newsletters.

“Over the years, [RedEye] has evolved to better serve our audience and has become an essential tool that readers now depend on when the work week is over,” Tribune publisher and editor-in-chief Bruce Dold said in a statement. “RedEye serves as the authority on navigating life in the city for young, active professionals and these changes will super-serve our fans and provide them with everything they need to make the most out of their weekends.”