No change to Lancashire dailies

JOHNSTON Press, publishers of the Lancashire Evening Post, Blackpool Gazette and Wigan Evening Post, as well as your local newspapers the Burnley Express, Leader-Times Newspapers and Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, announced plans this week to turn some of its daily titles into weekly publications supported by daily online publishing - but has given assurances over the future of its Lancashire titles.

The Halifax Courier, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, Peterborough Evening Telegraph and Scarborough Evening News will move to a weekly print publishing schedule from the end of May, but there are no plans to change the publishing frequency of the Lancashire daily titles.

Gary Fearon, managing director of the Johnston Press North West Publishing Unit, said: “Our daily titles – along with our stable of weekly newspapers in the county – have a long and proud tradition of serving their local communities and are successful operations that are well respected.

“Our titles are at the heart of the communities they serve and we are committed to reporting local news and continuing to serve as a powerful platform for readers’ views and concerns.

“We recognise the value of our loyal readership and will continue to serve it in whatever format is required. While we clearly need to be mindful of audience demands and trading conditions, we have no current plans to convert our daily titles to weekly publications.”