Regional publisher Newsquest has merged two of its weekly newspapers into a single ‘bumper’ title and raised the price by 5p.
The Bridport News and Lyme Regis News, previously published as two separate editions, have become one paper.
The move has been accompanied by a cover price rise from 45p to 50p.
The news was announced to readers last week by Newsquest Dorset group editor Toby Granville.
Wrote Toby: “I am writing to inform you of some exciting new changes that will be happening to the Bridport News and Lyme Regis News from next week.
“On Thursday, July 3, the Bridport News and the Lyme Regis News will become one bumper newspaper.
“All the latest local news and information for the Bridport and Lyme Regis area will be in one newspaper replacing the two separate editions – but there’ll be more of it.
“And, for just a small rise of 5p to 50p, this new bigger and better Bridport & Lyme Regis News will continue to provide you with the best quality local news you’ve come to expect.”
The Bridport News had a paid-for circulation of 7,778 in the most recent ABCs published in February.
No separate figure was given for the Lyme Regis News.
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Funny how they always describe reduced quality and increased price as ‘exciting changes’. I expect there will be some exciting changes in the circulation figures too.
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I am always ready to throw stones at newspaper conglomerates, but in this case the merger seems to make sense. Lyme Regis and Bridport are so close together it’s amazing they have retained separate editions in this day and age of media cutbacks.
It will be interesting to see what effect there is on circulations.
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This has been on the cards for a number of years, NQ are losing readers and advertisers to the local free paper. Circulation is declining, the next “exciting change” will be closing the Bridport News office…..
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At least he didn’t say about the price hike “Less than the cost of a cup of coffee” which is the usual phrase accompanying this sort of thing.
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Joint circulation figures will settle at 8000 – if they are lucky.
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Could well work, provided the ‘bumper’ newspaper covering the two neighbouring areas is produced by a ‘bumper’ number of local (and I do mean local) journalists. Otherwise, I observe that even supermarket till and ‘Mac’ jobs are universally described as ‘exciting’ these days. Note to managers, recruiters, editors and bean counters everywhere: if there is one word that has lost its meaning in the last decade or so, ‘exciting’ is it.
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I give it a few weeks for pagination to be halved along with the staff
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The circulation figures for the individual titles for January to December 2013 are Bridport News 6,462, Lyme Regis News 1,316.
Here’s a prediction: sales of the 50p ‘bumper’ title to drop below 7,000 by December of this year. Hopefully I’ll be proved wrong!
Best wishes to all who are involved with the paper(s) – and good luck.
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