Gannett UK is poised to buy NEWSCOM, the UK’s eighth-largest regional newspaper publisher, for £444m.

Gannett owns Newsquest, the third-largest regional newspaper publisher in the UK, with 11 dailies among its 186 titles. They include the Northern Echo, the Brighton Evening Argus and the Bradford Telegraph & Argus.

The parent company publishes 74 daily newspapers in the US including USA today, and a range of other publications. It also owns 22 television stations.

NEWSCOM publishes 112 titles with a weekly circulation/distribution of around 2.7 million copies. It also has interests in leaflet distribution, magazine contract printing, magazine publishing and electronic publishing.

Newsquest executive chairman James Brown said: “NEWSCOM is a fine company with a great history and we are very pleased that it now joins our newspapers.”

NEWSCOM is recommending shareholders to accept the offer. Media Week says the acquisition is expected to go smoothly because Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers has already ruled that a takeover would pose no regulatory problems.

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