On July 7, Northcliffe Media announced its purchase of 26 weeklies from Trinity Mirror Southern for £64.12 million.

The purchase, set to be completed on July 23, of the south-east England titles will increase Northcliffe’s circulation by 872,000 copies per week.

Michael Pelosi, Northcliffe group’s managing editor, told staff that the purchase represented “a vote of confidence from DMTG in Northcliffe and the future of local media.” He added that the acquisitions would allow the group to “strengthen its publishing reach in a region demonstrating strong economic growth where digital opportunities are particularly attractive.”

The Trinity Mirror Group announced late in 2006 that it was considering the sale of its national or regional titles. It has recently strengthened its local, online media presence with overhauls of its titles’ corresponding websites, efforts that support Pelosi’s hopes for economic growth through digital opportunities.

Source: Hold the Front Page