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Rival publishers set to go head to head in Manchester

  • Editor Paul Harrison with his new
    reporting teams
  • A Trinity Mirror-owned free newspaper in Greater Manchester is to go head to head with two rival Newsquest titles following a relaunch.

    The Trafford Metro is to relaunch next week as two separate titles – the Sale and Altrincham Advertiser, and the Stretford and Urmston Advertiser.

    The new free titles will be up against two similarly-named Newsquest frees, the Sale and Altrincham Messenger and Stretford and Urmston Messenger.

    Trinity claims the combined distribution of the two new titles will be 78,000 compared to the Trafford Metro’s current distribution of 67,091. The two Messenger titles have a combined distribution of just over 71,000.

    The launches will take place next Thursday, 21 October, and Trinity is promising “more local news, sport and entertainment than ever before.”

    Publication day of will move from Friday to Thursday and each of the new titles will include a new property platform – Homesmine – featuring properties specific to each newspaper’s local area.

    Each title will have a three-person reporting team under editor Peter Harrison.

    The Sale and Altincham Advetiser team will be made up of Helen Johnson, Katherine Vine and Matthew Davis, while Peter Devine, Bethan Dorsett and Kirsty Day will be covering the Stretford and Urmston patch.

    MEN Media Managing Director, David Sharrock, said: “We’re delighted to announce the launch of these two new titles to serve the Sale and Altrincham and Stretford and Urmston markets.

    “Our readers will notice the benefits of increased local news coverage and the introduction of the new Homesmine property supplements for the areas, while the increased distribution of the papers means we’re reaching more people and providing a bigger audience for our advertisers.”