Around 30 editorial staff could lose their jobs as part of restructuring plans at the KM Group, it has emerged.

Yesterday HoldtheFrontPage revealed that 61 jobs were on the line at the Kent-based media company along with the closure of four district offices and two radio studios.

Managing director Chris Bisco has told HoldtheFrontPage that around half of the 61 redundancies sought would come from editorial.

He added: “No papers are closing. We’ll be working smarter and consolidating operations.

“All of our titles will be continuing and at the same time we’re expanding our multimedia output.

“We have already made a lot of savings in other areas, for example commercial, through non-replacement of staff.”

The company, which publishes the Kentish Gazette and Kent Messenger, is proposing to close its newspaper offices in Dover, Faversham, Sittingbourne and Tunbridge Wells.

In addition two kmfm radio studios in Tonbridge and Maidstone would be transferred to larger offices.

The total payroll would be reduced to around 580 people and new combined editorial production desks would operate from Larkfield, near Maidstone, and Wraik Hill in north-east Kent. It would include all the production work of group features.

A new ‘county newsdesk’ combined with the content side of group features will also operate from the Medway office.

In May, the company’s Bromley Extra and Bexley Extra titles closed down after four years in production.

Consultation with staff on these latest proposals will continue until October 29.

The KM Group company statement added: “In the current economic climate, we cannot rule out further changes to our business but we believe this proposal will go a long way towards ensuring the sustainability of the company for the future and the future careers of our remaining staff.

“We shall of course offer professional support and help to any staff displaced as a result of these proposals.”