Johnston Press Adds Brighton & Hove Independent to Portfolio

Johnston Press plc, one of the UK's largest local media owners, today announces it has concluded a deal to buy the Brighton & Hove Independent.

The free weekly distributes more copies per issue in the city than any other newspaper, boasting a weekly print circulation of 13,005 copies*.

The title, which launched in 2011, has a targeted network of more than 300 distribution pointsacross Brighton and Hove – as far north as Falmer, east to Brighton Marina and west to Portslade. It has a highly-popular associated website: www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk and @BrightonIndy has nearly 7,000 Twitter followers.

"The Brighton & Hove Independent perfectly complements our portfolio on the south coast. It's a great title with a superb reputation with both readers and advertisers," said Johnston Press' Chief Executive Officer Ashley Highfield.

"We are very pleased to welcome this well-respected newspaper and website to our stable as we further our efforts to expand our reach in the area. It's a small but terrific team - who produce an excellent newspaper and website - and we're very happy to have them on board.

Mark Ansell, Founder and Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Independent, says:

"It's a landmark day for us. We started Brighton & Hove Independent with an ambition to change the media landscape, to do things differently. More than ever before, we will be able to serve our city and its residents; there are many voices we have not yet heard, many stones left unturned.

"Being part of Johnston Press will allow Brighton & Hove Independent to fast-track growth, to provide even more comprehensive coverage for the city, and to go from strength to strength."

Greg Hadfield, Editorial Director, says: "This is a big step forward for Brighton & Hove Independent. It means we will be in a much stronger position to deliver a newspaper that our city truly deserves."

The Brighton & Hove Independent will join the 32 other newsbrands in the Johnston Press South region, which includes one of JP's flagship titles, The News - Portsmouth's award-winning daily newspaper and website.

Johnston Press South MD Karl Dimmock will assume overall responsibility for the business, with the region's Group Editor Gary Shipton overseeing editorial. There are no planned changes to staffing on the title.

Johnston Press is one of the UK's largest local media companies, with an average monthly audience of almost 27m.

The group owns 13 paid-for daily newspapers, 195 paid-for weekly newspapers, 40 free titles, ten lifestyle magazines and 198 local news and e-commerce websites.

*The average circulation of Brighton & Hove Independent in August – December 2014 - verified by ABC, the industry-standard Audit Bureau of Circulations (www.abc.org.uk) - was 13,005 per issue.

- See more at: http://www.johnstonpress.co.uk/media/product-news/johnston-press-acquires-brighton-hove-independent#sthash.AM78ZjMb.dpuf