Trinity Mirror to Acquire GMG Regional Media
Trinity Mirror Regionals managing director Georgina Harvey has described this week’s acquisition of GMG Regional Media as, “a real vote of confidence in the future of regional newspapers”.
Trinity Mirror announced this week that it is to acquire GMG Regional Media from Guardian Media Group for £44.8 million.
Georgina Harvey said: “This deal is a real vote of confidence in the future of regional newspapers. We are absolutely delighted with this acquisition as GMG Regional Media is a perfect fit for our business which will allow us to extend our reach across print and online and is a further step towards our strategic goal of creating a local multimedia business of real scale.”
GMG Regional Media, which publishes 32 newspapers and associated websites, is formed of two operating businesses, MEN Media and S&B Media.
MEN Media publishes 22 titles in the North West of England, including the flagship Manchester Evening News and Metro.
S&B Media publishes 10 titles in the South of England, including the Surrey Advertiser and Reading Post.
Trinity Mirror will not be acquiring Channel M, the TV station for Greater Manchester and the two local newspapers in Woking. The transaction is due to complete on 28 March.
- Historic newspaper link to Manchester severed in deal worth £44.8m, £7.4m of it in cash, but excluding Channel M local TV (Guardian)
- Guardian owner sells regionals to Trinity (Independent)
- Agencies welcome Trinity’s GMG Regional purchase (Media Week)
- Business big shot: Georgina Harvey of Trinity Mirror (The Times)
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
KM Group Charity Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The KM Group’s in-house charity which raises six-figure sums for local and national organisations is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The KM Charity Team was started by Simon Dolby who began organising Walk to School schemes in his spare time while working as a page designer and sub-editor for the publisher.
The organisation has now grown into a fully fledged charity staffed by 10 people who work to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes and promote healthy living and environmental best practise in Kent and Medway.
In 2005, the work of the team was publicly praised when it received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and has scooped environmental accolades at the Green Apple Awards in 2002, 2005 and 2007.
Now, in the full time role of community and charity projects manager, Simon presides over 10 full and part-time employees including a full-time journalist who covers events for KM Group newspaper titles and radio station kmfm.
In addition to the Walk to School schemes, the team organises fundraising activities such as quizzes, extreme sports events such as abseiling and dragon boat racing, and gains exposure for good causes in KM Group newspapers.
Last year, the team raised £150,000 for third party charities through events which attract sponsorship from local and national businesses.
Three Walk to School schemes with 200 participating primary schools and 47,000 children are now run by the team in partnership with Kent County Council, Medway Council and district councils.
Simon said: “The Walk to School event is a particularly good example of a local authority and independent local publisher working together to the benefit of the community – both organisations bringing their unique strengths to the arrangement.”
Websites for each participating school are currently being developed by the team which hopes to launch them later this year. They will be maintained by children, parents and organisers who will be able to upload pictures and content as well as posting details of Walk to School arrangements.
Last year the Walk to School scheme, saved an estimated 200,000 school run car journeys providing health and environmental benefits for participants.
The team also runs the KM Charity of the Year scheme which sees a local or national charity partnered with a KM Group newspaper title for a year.
Last year, editors chose their charity of choice from 130 applications from charities keen to have their work highlighted by KM Group newspapers.
The Kent Messenger, the group’s flagship title, backed Stonham, which provides housing and support for vulnerable and socially excluded people, while Sheppey Sea Cadets was chosen by the Sheerness Times Guardian.
The charity will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with special events in addition to its regular programme. These include a sponsored family walk which it hopes to get 3,000 people participating in, and a 10th birthday picnic party.
It will also unveil a new healthy lifestyles website developed with the East Kent Health Authority for Kent and Medway which will feature detailed health and nutrition information, recreational walks and challenges.
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 762 7424 or e-mail sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
Champion Media Group Launches Free Weekly Title
The first edition of Champion Media Group’s new free weekly title in Crosby and Litherland was delivered yesterday (Wednesday). The new title, the Crosby & Litherland Champion, has a door-to-door circulation of 30,531.
The launch means the Merseyside based Champion Media Group’s portfolio now has six titles with a joint circulation of 139,305. The other Champion titles cover Southport, Formby, Ormskirk, Skelmersdale and Aintree & Maghull.
For more information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
NS to Launch the wanted ads Jobs
January Activity Report
- Government responds to NS and regional newspaper lobby on planning notices in keeping current regime in place.
- Audit Commission to report on local authority publications in the New Year.
- NS meeting with Government ministers on press freedom issues and data protection issues.
- NS at meetings with Danish Government and politicians on 12 and 13 January to discuss regulation of public service broadcasting.
- Regional Media Reception hosted by the Prime Minister on 13 January.
- NS and Society of Editors meet ACPO on 14 January.
- NS/ BBC Trust meeting on 15 January.
- NS Marketing Committee meets on 20 January.
- NS meeting with BBC on 22 January.
- NS Board meeting on 28 January.
- NS subscription invoices for 2010 due for payment this month.
- NS consulted on IFNC selection process.
- NS at ABC, IPA, ASBOF and related functions.
- NS hosts Society of Editors lunch for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw on 1 February.
- NS co-ordinates European issues meeting 1 February.
- NS to launch recruitment advertising research this month.
- NS to launch ‘in paper’ regional media advertising campaign in February.
For further information please see the NS website www.newspapersoc.org.uk.
Tindle Title Scoops Faringdon Community Award
Tindle-owned publisher Faringdon Newspapers has won an accolade in the first Faringdon Town Council Community Awards.
Faringdon Newspapers publishes the monthly paid-for Faringdon Folly and several other What’s On listings titles for the area including Faringdon, Wantage, Fairford and Lechlade.
The Faringdon What’s On was named as the winner of the Community Business Award.
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
Government Rejects Plans to Scrap Planning Notice Advertising
Plans to abolish the statutory obligation to publish planning notices in local newspapers in England were rejected by the Government this week following a fierce campaign by the NS and its members. If the recommendation, from the Killian Pretty Review in 2008, had been adopted, it could have paved the way for all statutory notices to be withdrawn from local newspapers, seriously undermining the public’s right to know.
The announcement from Housing and Planning Minister John Healey was part of a package of measures aimed at streamlining the planning system and driving down costs. Although the Government had identified £12.5 million in potential savings on planning notices in England (and £15 million across the UK), it confirmed that the rules requiring local planning authorities to place planning notices in local newspapers will not change, in order to ensure the local community continues to be alerted to planning proposals affecting them.
As well as advertising in local papers, local authorities will be required to publish information about planning applications on their websites and to extend the statutory period for display of site notices on certain applications.
Local authorities had pressed hard for the abolition of statutory planning notice advertising on the grounds of cost, with 78 local planning authorities responding to the consultation in support of the proposal. The newspaper industry was joined by members of the public and community groups in opposing the plans. Concerns were raised over access to planning notices for those without internet access, threats to community cohesion and democracy, and whether local authorities could be trusted with additional flexibility on publicising planning applications.
“It is clear from the responses that some members of the public and community groups rely on the statutory notices in newspapers to learn about planning applications in their area. The Government is not convinced that good alternative arrangements can be readily rolled out,” said the Government in its response.
In its summary of concerns raised, it added: “A range of views were presented to the consultation indicating that statutory notices in newspapers are an effective means of publicity which should be retained. This was supported by research outlining the current reach of local newspapers and of the importance people place upon reading statutory notices.”
The NS has always made clear the importance of publishing statutory notices in independent local newspapers, unconnected with the local authority and any of its publications. Politicians have been highly critical in the past year of what have been described as ‘propaganda sheets masquerading as newspapers,’ run and funded by councils, which compete with the independent press for readers and advertisers. However, the industry has yet to see the results of the Digital Britain initiatives intended to investigate and address this problem.
- Planning notices must appear in local papers, government rules
- Council ads move does not tackle ‘propaganda sheets’
- London MP blasts council newspapers (Early Day Motion)
For further information please contact Lynne Anderson on 020 7632 7421 or e-mail lynne_anderson@newspapersoc.org.uk.
‘Spin’ Claims as Stoke City Council Looks to Double Investment in Council Newspaper
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking at increasing the frequency of its council newspaper and putting all of its statutory notices into the title despite protests from councillors who have branded it as “yet more spin”.
The move from bi-monthly to monthly publication would see the council’s £192,000 annual production and distribution costs for Our City almost double, The Sentinel reported last week.
The council claim that a saving would be made but preliminary figures have been slammed as “inaccurate”.
City Independent councillor Ann James said: “Many people in the city are already disillusioned with the council, and they will see this as yet more spin.
“People will still just put it in the bin without reading it.
“Those who are interested in local news go out and buy The Sentinel.”
Non-Aligned Group spokesman Mick Salih added: “I have some very serious concerns about whether this £147,000 is achievable.
“We have seen these figures in the budget before and they have turned out to be inaccurate.
“I think the council running a newspaper would be a step in the wrong direction and I will not be supporting it.”
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 27424 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
New Consortium for Wales IFNC Pilot
Local media publishers are part of a new consortium to announce a bid for the independently funded news consortia pilot in Wales, Media Guardian reported.
The consortium, named Taliesin, includes the publishers Northcliffe Media, Newsquest and Tindle Newspapers.
It is headed by GMTV chairman Clive Jones, and consists of an alliance between ITN, ITV Wales, and the local media publishers.
Trinity Mirror has announced its Media Wales division will be bidding for the pilot and, separately, NWN Media has formed a partnership with broadcaster UTV.
For further information please contact Paul Sinker at sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk or 020 763 27424.
Archant Journalist Wins Weakest Link
Weston Mercury news editor Simon Angear scooped the prize on the Weakest Link last week.
Simon was named the strongest link six rounds in a row before triumphing to take home the BBC quiz show’s cash prize.
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
Edinburgh Evening News Launches ‘Get Edinburgh Back to Work’
The Edinburgh Evening News has launched an advertising initiative as part of a ‘Get Edinburgh Back to Work’ campaign.
Under the campaign, rates for recruitment advertising have been reduced from rate card prices and are tiered according to the salary of the job.
The advertising initiative will be supported by a major advertising campaign focused on the ‘Get Edinburgh Back to Work’ theme and using print, online and direct mail.
Henry Faure Walker, general manager, The Scotsman Publications Ltd, said: “The Evening News is well established as the place to advertise and look for job vacancies in Edinburgh & the Lothians, giving recruiters response rates that are second to none. We are delighted to be launching this new initiative which we feel will give some assistance to local businesses and help stimulate activity in the current economic climate.”
For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 27424 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.