Iliffe News and Media has strengthened its hold on its core Cambridgeshire patch by purchasing four free newspapers from Johnston Press.

The company, publisher of the Cambridge News, has bought the Town Crier series, which circulates in the nearby towns of St Neots, St Ives and Huntingdon.

The series, which also includes the monthly title St Neots Community News has a distribution of 43,000 and a readership of 64,000.

An announcement on the Cambridge News website suggests the titles are to be merged with Cambridge Newspapers’ own Weekly News series, which publishes editions in both Huntingdon and St Neots.

The Town Crier websites, formerly at www.towncriertoday.co.uk now redirect to www.cambridge-news.co.uk.

The announcement states: “The Town Crier has merged with the St Neots and Huntingdon Weekly News to form the News & Crier. This is the new look website which will provide the latest news and sport along with breaking stories.”

The move is the latest in a series of aquisitions from Iliffe following its purchase from Trinity Mirror of the Northampton Herald and Post series in November.

In the same month it announced plans to cut around 80 jobs at Cambridge Newspapers and Staffordshire Newspapers, with a further restructure of the two companies and other Iliffe subsidiaries now under way.

David Fordham, chief executive of Iliffe News & Media, said: “We are very pleased to have acquired The Crier series of newspapers in what we regard as an important territory for us.

“Although trading conditions are extremely difficult at the present time, we firmly believe that over a period of time this acquisition will ultimately strengthen our publishing position in these markets.”

Comments

Disgusted (14/01/2009 18:08:45)
So it’s okay to buy more newspapers – look at how Leek has turned out – when you’re laying off 80 workers elsewhere?
You need to talk to your staff and see how they feel – another kick in the teeth for an overworked, underpaid workforce.

Hacked Off (15/01/2009 12:44:30)
Why doesn’t Iliffe try investing in its current papers instead of running them into the ground while buying new ones?

Mini Hitler (16/01/2009 11:31:48)
So thats the finance department at HEN gone!!!!!!
How about you leave this comment for once!

Lil baldy (18/01/2009 20:03:05)
This man has a keen interest in picking up small weekly/free papers while running the daily centres in to the ground.

Jeffrey Archer (19/01/2009 16:50:23)
Well if the paper business dries up theres always the lookalike work to fall back on.