Kent Messenger Group Merges Titles

The Kent Messenger Group (KM) is merging two of its most popular titles to form what it claims will be “the best-selling weekly paper in Britain.”

The Medway Messenger, published in two editions, morning and afternoon, will replace the Kent Messenger and Medway Today providing 220 pages dedicated to the Medway towns.

KM managing director, David Lewes, said: “We wanted to combine the strength of our two titles in Medway to give our readers and advertisers the best possible newspaper. It means our readers will have a paper that lasts all weekend and our advertisers will get all the benefits that a longer shelf life and greater pagination bring.”

The decision to merge the titles comes just days before the release of the ABC regional newspaper results for the six month period January to June 2001. The last set of ABC regional results, for the period July to December 2000 (see ABC Figures Reveal Steady Progress From Regional Weekly Titles), showed a circulation of 48,162 for the Kent Messenger, which sat behind the Essex Chronicle with 49,749 and the West Briton with 50,785.

Kent Messenger: 01622 717880 www.kentonline.co.uk

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