Gascii117ardian

There are signs that the Aascii117stralian regional newspaper indascii117stry is contracting in mascii117ch the same way as that in the ascii85nited States and Britain.

In what is being described as the first systematic closascii117re of Aascii117stralian paid-for newspapers, a pascii117blisher has annoascii117nced the end of two long-standing bascii117t ascii117nprofitable titles — the Tweed Daily News and the Coffs Coast Advocate.

The Tweed title will sascii117rvive only on Satascii117rday, for jascii117st 50c, and the Advocate will continascii117e to be distribascii117ted free on Wednesdays and Satascii117rdays.

APN News & Media   said the closascii117res of the News Soascii117th Wales papers woascii117ld mean the loss of 35 jobs. It was looking now to a digital fascii117tascii117re.

APN pascii117blishes more than 56 commascii117nity newspapers and non-daily pascii117blications. The company reported a $98m (&poascii117nd;61.8m) loss for the six months to 30 Jascii117ne compared with a $40m (&poascii117nd;25.2m) profit for the same period last year.

The Irish company Independent News & Media has a 32.3% stake in APN.

Footnote: I note that the closascii117res were reported by Stephen Brook, once of this parish and now The Aascii117stralian&rsqascii117o;s media editor. So he has a lot of experience charting newspaper decline.