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Tindle closes hyperlocal monthly after nine-year ownership

An independent publisher has closed a local newspaper almost nine years after it bought the title.

Tindle Newspapers has confirmed the closure of View From the Blackdown Hill, which circulated in the borders of Devon and Somerset.

The free monthly title, which had a circulation of 6,000, was purchased by Tindle in 2009.

The company says no journalist jobs have been lost as a result of the closure.

View Blackwdown

Sandra Perraton, managing director for Tindle Newspapers (Teignbridge, Tavistock, Mid & East Devon), told HTFP: “View From the Blackdown Hills was a 16-page monthly free paper with a circulation of 6,000, acquired by Tindle newspapers in December 2009.

“Tindle newspapers have been proud to serve the people of the Somerset/Devon border.  The last edition was printed in September. No journalists were made redundant.”

Last year a number of the paper’s ‘View From’ sister titles were purchased by Sunday Independent publisher Peter Masters.

Earlier this month a judge found Duncan Williams, who subsequently bought those titles in January this year after they were closed by Mr Masters, was personally liable for money owed to a group of journalists who were made redundant as a result of the closures.

Mr Williams has said he intends to appeal the decision.

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  • September 27, 2018 at 6:46 pm
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    I’m not familiar with these particular titles but so many once popular and credible weekly papers have been allowed to rot away, unloved and thrown together having lost their popularity,audience and advertising revenues yet some still remain continuing to lose money and readers week by week,why?
    Where I am the papers sell a handful of copies,where once they were essential buys selling tens of thousands a week and today are filled with templated social media scrapings and old news and are run by, generally inexperienced staff with no power and little knowledge of the local area or it’s communities.
    If something’s lost it’s prinary markets and are not profitable it needs to go, harsh but true

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