More London papers for Archant

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by HoldtheFrontPage Staff Published 25 Jun 2007

Publisher Archant has secured the remaining 15 weekly paid-for London titles from Independent News & Media in a £10m deal.

Earlier this month the company acquired 12 weekly free and paid-for titles in North London, East London and Essex from the same company.

The deal makes Archant the fifth-largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the country – with a portfolio of more than 90 titles and a total circulation of more than 3m copies a week.

Archant chief executive John Fry with some of the recently acquired newspapers

The latest purchase means that Archant has now taken on all 27 weekly titles run by INM in Greater London, Essex and Kent, for a total cost of up to £62m.The titles included in the latest buy include:

the four titles in the paid-for North West London Times series covering the area from Hammersmith to Westminster, two free newspaper series – the Wembley Chronicle and the Willesden Chronicle – and a paid-for title, Job Watch;

four paid-for newspapers in the Kentish Times series, covering Bromley, Bexley, Dartford, Gravesend and surrounding areas, and four free newspapers in the Express series covering the same areas.

Archant chief executive John Fry said: “I am delighted that we have been able to acquire the regional businesses of Independent News and Media.

“This transaction leads to Archant moving to fifth place in the league table of regional publishers but we remain a relatively small player in the London market.”

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