Media Lifeline: Metro International.

The company behind the global roll-out of a commuter freesheet has enjoyed mixed fortunes.

1995: The Swedish media conglomerate Modern Times Group sets up a new division to trial a morning freesheet newspaper that will be given out to commuters on the Stockholm Metro system. It proves a hit with readers and advertisers alike, and the company soon plots to launch editions in other cities around Europe - and beyond.

2000: Prague was the first international expansion stepping stone, when it launched in 1997. Then, in 1998, editions were rolled out in Budapest and Gothenburg; in 1999, Helsinki, the central Dutch conurbation and Malmo were added; in 2000, the roll-out reached Rome, Milan, Warsaw and Athens, and it even crossed the Atlantic, too, with editions in Philadelphia, Toronto and Santiago, Chile.

2005: As the roll-out continues under the chief executive Pelle Tornberg, and the company heads towards its target of 70 editions in more than 100 cities in more than 20 countries, Metro International gradually claws its way to profitability.

2006: Profitability across a calendar year at last, although ...