Downsizing of Sun Media's Brantford Expositor has prompted people who ran the defunct Brant News newspaper in the 1970s and 1980s to publish again, says a TSF tipster.
The new independent will be called The Brant News - just as it was in the late 70s/early 80s before it folded," says the tipster. "It is associated with the old owners, Ricter Web Publishing and a new website called brantford.com."No launch date for the print edition and website that TSF has heard, but apparently some former Expositor newsroom employees are anxious to get back to community newspaper work.
BRAVO to those willing to push back! Does anyone think PKP is listening? Maybe the shareholders of Quebecor should be better informed in what the President of the company is doing? Close the presses, it may be difficult, not impossible to open a new paper. it may be so many battles in so many small communites that will finally reach PKP. As profits do fall, more will be leaving, but leaving to what...new newspaper jobs that mean everything to their communites. BRAVO AGAIN!
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or is it not like shooting yourself in the foot to downsize all these branches just to have independents pop up in those same communities with former Sun Media staff? ie. Hinton, now Brantford and perhaps others and more to come. I just don't get the rationale? But maybe I'm just not very smart.
ReplyDeleteFormer employees of Quebecor in Brockville have also started a weekly newspaper called The Brockville Voice and it apparently has been well received by the community.
ReplyDeleteThe rationale is PKP doesn't give a damn about his newspapers. He's more concerned about his TV empire and web.
ReplyDeleteEventually he'll close all the presses and all the papers will be online.
I'm willing to bet in less than 10 years all Sun Media papers will be online only.
I'm sure if they become a real threat, PKP will just buy them and close them down again.
ReplyDelete10 years? Having served under Sun Media's banner for many years, I can assure you that it will most certainly be less than five...
ReplyDeleteAnd not every business is for sale, my friend. The sale of one company to another is an optional endeavor, last I heard. Besides, I hear the Brant News is owned by a decent and well-respected local Brantford family, who are unlikely to be swayed by PKP's clumsy bullyboy tactics.
BTW: BrantNews.com scooped a very interesting story about the Six Nations land dispute today - well before Brantford's daily newspaper could get out of bed and rub the sleep from their eyes. Nice going guys! Good, old fashioned journalism! Can't wait to see your print product!
ReplyDeleteFor the record, the original Brant News ceased publishing in the late 1990's (1998 or 1999).
ReplyDeleteFirst print copy on the streets today.....Bravo!!
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT!!!!
I received my Brant News this afternoon. What a beautiful product!
ReplyDeleteMy carrier, a kid in his early teens, handed it to me, smiling, as I stepped out of my car. Reminded me of the olden days.
I sat and read it after seeing a friend's teenager in one of the local basketball articles. I have to say, it's one of the best reads I've had in years. Great work! Very easy on the eyes and so colourful!
I discovered The Expositor's 'new product' (Connect-something-or-other) sitting in my flower beds. Bag open. Dirt in the end. I picked it up, flicked through it finding nothing of interest, pocketed the few flyers I need, and chucked it in my blue box where it belongs.
Brant News: After being an avid Expositor subscriber for over 20 years (and a loyal Southam employee before that), I finally gave up my subscription six months ago after that awful re-design. I have no reason to go back now.
Where did all the loyal bloggers and supporters of Brant News go? They hit the streets and only 2 comments! Does this mean there is no more substance to speak of? Has the hype faded? I know the stock has. Or maybe the product being pulled from garden beds has a new name? Or maybe because the teenage carrier is now taking short cuts and not delivering to every home. Ask the people who have called to stop delivery of Brant News their opinion of the new (or second time round publication).
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, there are choices to be made. Do we always make the right choices? I haven't met a perfect person yet. But, I am sure there are probably a number of folks wondering about their decisions of late.
Brant News is a great little paper, far more interesting then the Expositor which is getting expensive and on Mondays consists of about 10 pages. It rarely even mentions anything that happened during the weekend. Perfect example on Tuesday morning after the election all the Expositor had was the reports on the mayors race, nothing until Wednesday about Councilors, Brant County, or School Board Trustees.
ReplyDelete