Northcliffe Media has announced that the Medway News and the East Kent Gazette are to close with the loss of 38 jobs.
It is the result of the collapse of the proposed sale of the papers (plus five others) to the KM group following the deal being referred in October to the Competition Commission by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Northcliffe has decided that it is no longer financially viable to publish the papers and, subject to consultation with staff, both titles are expected to cease publication in early December.
Other titles in the company's division, known as Kent Regional News & Media, are likely to be amalgamated. Northcliffe's managing director, Steve Auckland, said the OFT decision left the company "with no choice but to consider closing these titles with the resulting job losses."
The East Kent Gazette had an audited circulation in the January-June period this year of 13,975, though 45% were given away free.
As for the Medway News, more than 90% of its 53,000 weekly copies are distributed for free.
As I reported earlier today, KM group's direct response to the OFT decision has been to announce up to 10 redundancies.
I reiterate that the OFT's decision was disastrous and it was heavily criticised across the industry, from left and right and centre.
Among the leading critics were Lord (Guy) Black (here), Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger (here), Neil Fowler (here), and Trinity Mirror (here).
I cannot see how, in conscience, the OFT can defend its decision.
Source: Northcliffe Media
