Sir Ray Tindle has added to his growing newspaper empire after Northcliffe Media agreed to sell him a 130-year-old weekly.
Agreement has been reached for the ownership of The Forester, based in the Forest of Dean, to be transferred to the Tindle Newspaper Group.
The paid-for weekly joins the growing Tindle stable of more than 200 newspapers across England and Wales.
Sir Ray said he was delighted that The Forester was joining his group, which includes such titles as the Monmouthshire Beacon, the Ross Gazette and the Abergavenny Chronicle.
The nine staff members at the Forester offices at Cinderford will transfer with the business and formal consultations with these employees have started.
Negotiations for Tindle have been led by managing director Brian Doel, who will be joining the board of the new company, Forester Newspapers Limited
Tindle has a long track record of publishing local community newspapers and has launched five new titles in the past year.
Northcliffe managing director Michael Pelosi said he was confident that The Forester would continue to have a bright future as part of the Tindle Group.
This is a massive surprise seeing as Tindle already own one paper in the area. Seeing as the Tindle-owned rival is a freesheet does this mean the Forester goes free?
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No, it’s standard Tindle policy to have one paid-for and one freesheet in each patch. He uses the freesheet to mop up any spare advertising and then uses it to fight any battles with other newspapers encroaching on the territory. His strategy, which has been quite successful, is to let the freesheet fight the competition to leave the paid-for unscathed.
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I’m sure the Tindle group is not without its problems and has faced tough times and difficult decisions like the rest of the business, but am I totally off the mark if I think that Sir Ray has more understanding and genuine passion for what local community newspapers are all about in his little finger than the entire Northcliffe board and senior management put together? Thought not….
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All Subbed Out is absolutely right, except that if anything you’re understating it.
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