A group of former regional press staff are to launch their own monthly local interest magazine after losing their jobs at a media company last month.
The first edition of Oswestry Life is set to be published in March as the first project of newly-founded DTS Media.
Up until December, DTS directors David Lee-Birch and Tracy Leonard worked for Reviewmedia Ltd, which published Shropshire Review magazine.
However it was then revealed that the media group had gone into voluntary liquidation and all staff had lost their jobs.
David, 43, previously worked as a business manager at the Midland News Association, where he helped launch the Oswestry and Border Chronicle in 2011 alongside editor Jon Simcock, while 46-year-old Tracy worked at the Shropshire Star for 11 years, ending her time there as advertising manager on the Newport Advertiser and the Market Drayton Advertiser.
Aileen Selkirk, who worked for Reviewmedia for more than 30 years, will be a designer on the new publication, while former Express & Star, Wolverhampton, women’s editor Eluned Watson will be a major contributor.
David said the new glossy magazine will have a “more local feel” than the Shropshire Review had.
He said: “Oswestry Life will be distributed in and around the town and we also plan to print and distribute a women’s magazine as part of the operation four times a year. It is a completely new business but we will be making the most of some of the talented people used on the Review.”
Tracy added: “We have already received strong messages of support from local people within the town and have been left overwhelmed with the support from former clients of the Review who want to continue advertising in a strong, local print publication.
“We know Oswestry Life has a long and successful life in front of it, being of great benefit to the people of Oswestry.”
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My very best wishes to the team involved with this new publication and its good to see there are a number of commercial people involved as sustainable revenues are key to longevity of any publication.
Get the content right,get the distribution right,get a raft of local advertisers booked in,work in and with the local communities,do what the bigger groups no longer bother to do and learn from the past,sure recipe for success.
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My very best wishes to all involved. I did a similar thing with my publication in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire 18 months ago. Although I launched a newspaper, it has been very well received by everyone as it covers more locally relevant stories and events that the larger regionals didn’t bother with. I’ve lost count of the number of people who tell me they read it from cover to cover. Something they never do with a larger regional paper. Just make sure you get local businesses to support you with advertising.
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Brilliant news, Godspeed folks.
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good luck to you all , give the bigboys who are sacking everyone and only look out for their own a run for their money.
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