New Delhi, June 23 :    New Delhi, June 23:  High-flying media executive Deepak Shourie has quit The Hindustan Times (HT). As executive editor of HT, which he joined only last year, Shourie reignited the circulation war in the cut-throat Delhi newspaper market by reducing the cover price of HT by 50 paise from Rs 1.50 to Rs 1.00. Shourie?s manoeuvre forced HT?s main rival, The Times of India (TOI), to slash its prices. While HT reduced prices on all weekdays, TOI cut prices on all days except Wednesday. This tactical move was adopted because TOI?s circulation for the June-December period of 1998 had crept up to touch HT?s sales. HT?s daily circulation was 5.6 lakh copies, marginally ahead of TOI?s 5.46 lakh circulation figure. TOI was also recording a higher rate of growth in audited sales. Besides, HT?s share of the advertising revenues in Delhi had dropped. Shourie, however, maintained the price reduction was intended to make the paper more readily available and accessible to more readers. The price cut is expected to hit the profits of both TOI and HT in 1998-99, estimated at Rs 110 crore and Rs 65 crore respectively. According to sources, Shourie will now be joining Subhash Chandra?s Zee Television.