A new paper for Shetland is getting ready for launch, giving Britain’s most northerly islands a second weekly title.

A team of Shetland businessmen are hoping to give readers and advertisers an alternative to the established Shetland Times, with the new Shetland Weekly – the brainchild of Malcolm Younger, owner of local company Millgaet Media.

The company already publishes two monthly newspapers, the Shetland Post and the Shetland Seafood News, and the bi-monthly Shetland Pictorial Post, as well as operating the news television contract for Grampian Television in Shetland.

He is chairman of board of directors of the new title and holds a 48 per cent share of the paper, which is also being backed by a host of local businessmen.

Malcolm said: “I think there is an opportunity to develop another paper in Shetland to give people a choice.

“There is only one weekly paper at the moment and I think it is healthy to have competition.”

The Shetland Weekly will be a paid-for title and produced in a compact format, although its exact design has yet to be decided.

It will cover the whole of the Shetland Isles, promising to “reflect life across the isles in a distinct and unmissable format”.

It will be available in all the usual outlets, but Malcolm is reluctant to reveal details such as cover price, pagination, circulation aims and the day of publication.

The exact date when the first issue will hit the streets is also under wraps, although Malcolm promises it will be “soon”.

He said: “We need to be competitive and I’m keeping my cards close to my chest for commercial reasons. This is a great business opportunity.

“Competition is fantastic because it makes everyone perform better.

“I’ve always enjoyed being involved in newspapers and the Shetland Post, which will be four years old next month, has been very successful.

“We haven’t taken this lightly and hope that we know what we are doing by now!”

Journalist Richard Whitaker will edit the new title. It is also currently looking for a chief reporter, who will form part of an editorial team of five.

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