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BOOST FOR WEST COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
Truro City Football Club14 Jul 2017 - 22:42
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Sunday Independent joins forces with View From series...
THE FUTURE of local newspapers in the West Country received a massive boost this week when the iconic Sunday Independent joined forces with a popular group of weekly newspapers and magazines that serve Dorset, Devon and Somerset.
White Tigers’ Chairman, Peter Masters, who embarked on a plan to rejuvenate the 200-year-old Sunday Independent when he acquired the famous regional title in April, has now moved to add the Lyme Regis-based ‘View From’ series of free newspapers to his expanding stable of publications.
The move, which aims to create a formidable, independent, local publishing group, offers further evidence of the revival of print media, he said.
The eight ‘View From’ papers, which serve Lyme, Bridport, Dorchester, Weymouth, Axminster, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, were acquired from Capital Media Newspapers, who had owned the titles for 18 months.
The Lyme operation, which employs 31 people and is headed by veteran publisher Philip Evans, 68, also produces a series of local ‘Experience’ magazines and runs news websites for the West Country communities it serves.
Mr. Masters said he was excited to bring the two publishing businesses together. He is now constructing an investment plan to develop the multi-edition 200-year-old title, which focuses on professional and grass roots sport and leisure in Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.
“These are extremely exciting times for the View From group and the Sunday Independent as we work on plans to deliver even better quality, value and ideas for their readers,” he said. “I and all the dedicated staff at both titles believe in the future of print newspapers as the heart of their communities, where people can share their successes, their challenges, their events, their joys and criticisms.
“Both will have a vibrant web presence delivering news and sport updates and digital platforms for advertisers to reach these communities - but we all also believe that nothing beats sitting down with a paper that covers your community or your sphere of interest and reading all the things you can’t find on the internet!”
White Tigers’ Chairman, Peter Masters, who embarked on a plan to rejuvenate the 200-year-old Sunday Independent when he acquired the famous regional title in April, has now moved to add the Lyme Regis-based ‘View From’ series of free newspapers to his expanding stable of publications.
The move, which aims to create a formidable, independent, local publishing group, offers further evidence of the revival of print media, he said.
The eight ‘View From’ papers, which serve Lyme, Bridport, Dorchester, Weymouth, Axminster, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, were acquired from Capital Media Newspapers, who had owned the titles for 18 months.
The Lyme operation, which employs 31 people and is headed by veteran publisher Philip Evans, 68, also produces a series of local ‘Experience’ magazines and runs news websites for the West Country communities it serves.
Mr. Masters said he was excited to bring the two publishing businesses together. He is now constructing an investment plan to develop the multi-edition 200-year-old title, which focuses on professional and grass roots sport and leisure in Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.
“These are extremely exciting times for the View From group and the Sunday Independent as we work on plans to deliver even better quality, value and ideas for their readers,” he said. “I and all the dedicated staff at both titles believe in the future of print newspapers as the heart of their communities, where people can share their successes, their challenges, their events, their joys and criticisms.
“Both will have a vibrant web presence delivering news and sport updates and digital platforms for advertisers to reach these communities - but we all also believe that nothing beats sitting down with a paper that covers your community or your sphere of interest and reading all the things you can’t find on the internet!”
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