The regional press is set to diversify to protect its advertising revenues, an industry conference has been told.

Edwin Boorman, chairman of KM Group and president of the Newspaper Society, told delegates at the Newspaper Society’s Advertising Conference that the regional press will publish websites and buy local radio stations.

The audience in Blackpool was told: “In this computer age we hold the trump card. I look around to ask who can build a database for the localities which we, as local newspapers serve.

“The very nature of our business guarantees that it is up-to-date with every-day events and yet it covers geography and history as well. Who else can do it as well as us? Nobody. Who can afford to imitate it? Nobody. Who has as many local editorial and advertising contacts as us. Nobody.

“We can produce the best internet and local radio information simply as bi-products of our newspaper. So we should develop internet sites and purchase the flagging local radio stations. That is how we protect our local advertisement revenue.

“The competitive element lies between whether they place the business with us or with somebody else’s company. No longer should we sell newspapers alone.”

He said cross-media ownership was also fundamental to continuing the “excellence of local news gathering and the business of local communication”.

This was despite current legislation which inhibited the regional press’s ability to compete and develop.

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