Champion launches free newspaper in Liverpool

LONDON - North West regional publisher Champion Media Group is to launch a new free door-to-door weekly newspaper, the Aintree & Maghull Champion, next Wednesday.

The launch follows the decision by publisher Trinity Mirror to stop distributing its Maghull & Aintree Star free to homes in the area. The Maghull & Aintree Star is still available free from selected pick-up points in the area.

The Aintree & Maghull Champion will be produced by Champion's existing sales and editorial teams. The 15-strong sales team will sell ads across CMG's five weekly free newspapers, three Champ Local monthly free "newsletters" and the free quarterly magazine, Highlife.

The existing CMG newspapers in the region include Southport Champion, Formby Champion, Ormskirk and West Lancs Champion and Skelmersdale Champion.

The Aintree & Maghull Champion will have a circulation of 15,614, which will bring the combined circulation for the five papers to 112,439 across Merseyside and West Lancashire

Betty Drummond, managing director, said that in the past year most regional publishers have responded to declining sales and advertising revenues by embarking on "extensive cuts and restructuring". But she said that Champion Media Group believes readers and advertisers "deserve" local newspapers that will support them in times of trouble and not "turn tail and run".

Maisie McCabe
MediaWeek
5th January 2009