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'Oldest' Welsh weekly gets a modern new look

The North Wales Chronicle has unveiled a bright new look to readers and advertisers, with a host of new content.

The free paper, believed to be the oldest weekly in Wales and is distributed to 47,452 homes every Thursday, has a new masthead, modern, eye-catching fonts and new advertising platforms.

The relaunch comes after research told its owners, North Wales Newspapers, to improve content, align editorial and advertising, increase quality and target advertisers.


  • The new North Wales Chronicle
  • There was six months of planning, including a survey of advertisers, production of dummy issues and dozens of presentations to prospective clients. Then the new product was launched at a ceremony for 100 invited guests.

    Editor-in-chief Graham Breeze said: “Three editions have been reduced to two and we now produce county specific newspapers for Anglesey and Gwynedd with as many as 12 pages changed weekly.”

    A crisp new masthead now also includes a red dragon and the new motto ‘Proud To Be Local’, while modern Utopia and Swiss typefaces have replaced the old Inserat and Helvetica.

    Graham said: “We have also improved the availability of the Chronicle, opening 33 new retail outlets where distribution is difficult and reducing cover price from 45p to 30p where sold.

    “We continue to major on local news but will always look for a different slant to the opposition titles within our circulation area.

    “The first edition went out with 56 pages, 12 more than normal. All the signs so far are very positive that advertisers and readers like what we are doing.


  • How the paper used to look
  • Graham said: “To increase our advertisement revenue the research told us we needed to find new ways of supporting advertisers needs.

    “So we have introduced advertising platforms tagged ‘Extra’ for house and home, motoring, leisure and careers – heavily supported with local editorial.”

    The paper has also gone from not having a property section to producing a 12 page ‘House & Home Extra’ on day one of the new edition.

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    ©NEP 2004