Regional publisher Local World has announced that it is planning to take one of its flagship dailies to seven-day-a-week publication.
A new Sunday edition of the Western Morning News is to be launched in early-to-mid summer, the company has confirmed.
The move is expected to create a number of new jobs in both editorial and advertising at the paper’s headquarters in Plymouth.
It will be the second regional daily to go seven-days-a-week in recent months following Trinity Mirror’s decision last year to launch a Sunday edition of the Liverpool Echo.
WMN editor Bill Martin, pictured, said: “This is an incredibly exciting project born out of listening to what our readers and non-readers tell us they want – as well as the transformation of our newsrooms into 24/7 publishing operations.
“The WMN on Sunday will build on established Western Morning News values and issues, and give our journalists the chance to tell West country stories differently – backed by quality design and pictures.
“It is a real privilege to be involved in a project that combines innovation, top quality design and investment in top quality journalism. The project is testament to Local World’s commitment to quality journalism and the regional press.”
Devon & Cornwall Media managing director Mark Sainsbury added: “Our research and reader feedback has told us a Sunday Western Morning News could be a wonderful addition to our newspaper portfolio.
“This launch has created a real buzz in the newsroom and shows Local World is willing to invest in a new print product.”
The Western Morning News has a current average daily circulation of 26,699.
Local World has also hinted that other frequency changes could be on the way at its West Country titles.
In an interview with HTFP earlier this month, chief executive David Montgomery said the company was looking at increasing the frequency of the Exeter Express & Echo, which went from daily to weekly publication in 2011.
Mr Montgomery said the decision to take the paper weekly, made under predecessor company Northcliffe Media, came too early and has left “a gap in people’s lives” in the city.
The company is now researching the potential for increasing the paper’s frequency to twice or even three-times a week.
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I give it six months. Which is the length of the contracts they are offering to people who want to join the project….
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I think you’re a day early with this story, aren’t you?
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Hard to believe this, when every stat tells you that people aren’t buying newspapers with the same enthusiasm and in the same numbers as previously.
However, this must be a money-making idea, so maybe stats do lie!
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Blimey – some good news at last for our industry at last. Hope it’s a real success!
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Won’t this mean that Plymouth has two regional Sunday papers?
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The bit which sprang out most to me was ‘The Western Morning News has a current average daily circulation of 26,699….’ What ! Unbelievable ! I used to live in that neck of the woods when its circulation was far, far higher. To claim to represent the entire West Country while selling so few copies is a bit like my own London weekly claiming to represent the whole of London…and we actually have more readers. Good luck with the Sunday anyway.
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Cheer up for goodness sake!!! It’s better news than all the closures of titles and doom and gloom generally in the past few years
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You miserable shower!! Chear up and rejoice at good news..
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Just in case anybody thinks William Barrie is me – it isn’t!
For the record, I reckon a Sunday edition of the WMN is a great idea. I wish it well.
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A WMN under your editorship WOULD have been a great idea Barrie. As for the current version – take a look at the design of the current Saturday Leisure section – Tera meets Letraset meets ‘set square’ subbing – and ask yourself if we really want to suffer that all again 24 hours later….
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Hopefully this will be a success. New editorial jobs, no matter how short the contracts, is surely nothing but good news? And if it fails? Well at least they tried, which has to be an improvement on what the former management did.
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