US-based Tribune Company, which owns the ‘Los Angeles Times’ and the eponymous Chicago daily is reported to be developing its own Android-based tablet.

CNN says the touchscreen tablet will be offered to newspaper subscribers, “according to people briefed on the plans”.

The company – which is due to emerge from bankruptcy shortly – owns 23 TV stations and several daily newspapers including the ‘Chicago Tribune’ and ‘Baltimore Sun’.

A CNN reported who used to work for the LA paper says the tablet is expected to run a modified version of Google's Android operating system and prominently feature software for the newspapers.

It will be offered free or at a highly subsidised price to those who sign up for extended subscriptions and possibly a wireless-data plan. Discussions are reported to have been held with Samsung and others to build the hardware, but neither company would comment.

Major newspapers in the Tribune group currently offer free applications for major smartphone platforms and the Apple iPad. The company also has a multimedia program, called Mosaic, for Windows tablets and phones as well as for Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which is based on Android.

• See the CNN report at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/09/tribune.tablet/