The first-edition of the new-look weekly Birmingham Post hits the news stands this morning.

The Trinity Mirror title boasts 184 pages in its inaugural edition focussing on business and political news and analysis from the Second City as well as a leisure pullout, property magazine and a monthly commercial property supplement.

Today's news stories include a look at the controversial shake-up of Birmingham's council-run marketing agency and the simmering budget row between Birmingham airport and the Regional Development Agency.

Elsewhere, pop star Beverly Knight is interviewed and there's a profile piece on Birmingham's oldest businessman Ken Smith, who at the age of 91, draws on memories of the 30s depression to help him cope with the credit crunch.

A new daily E-zine service has also been launched for subscribers.

The decision to take the Post from five days a week to weekly was announced last month after a consultation between management and staff, advertisers and trade unions.

Editor Marc Reeves, who is due to leave the title at the end of the year, said: "Anyone who thought moving to a weekly format would make life a more relaxed affair would have been sorely mistaken this week.

"We have three main story upload 'editions' to the website through the day, and the last job at night is to prepare the next day's E-zine service.

"We take that as seriously as ever we did the daily print edition of the Post because for many readers this is a way they can get their daily Birmingham Post fix.

"We've been signing up subscribers to the new service in their hundreds every day, and our marketing campaign has gone to the inboxes of more than 250,000 people this week.

"The breaking news service will be sent to 15,000 subscribers every day who will have the opportunity to read it online, print it out or download it to their Kindle e-book – surely a first for the regional press."

Today's front page of the first weekly Birmingham Post