ACM has announced that its non daily titles will close for the moment. These titles include: The Mercury, Gloucester Advocate, Lake Mail, Cessnock Advertiser, Singleton Argus, Dungog Chronicle, Muswellbrook Chronicle, Scone Advocate, Hunter Valley News and Newcastle Star.
The same organisations shutting down these papers mainly county / regional areas and in more densely populated areas the advertising freebies have all just wallowed in a 90 million subsidy from Scomo. At least all staff involved across the nation should all get what they are owed by their employers the owners, A lot of valuable commercial land has been sold or is on sale. I have major issue with the ethics of this.
My local Country Newspaper Office has had its staff paid off, office emptied, a full skip bin out the back and a to let sign in the front window.
To that you can also add Parkes Champion Post and Forbes Advocate. They have said until 1 July.
I doubt if we will see these published again.
A big loss to our communities.
Amidst all the bad news out there, a ray of sunshine. Commercial car park operators are struggling badly. As someone who can attest to being ripped off parking in Melbournes CBD and the airport, hearing this has made my day. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Goulburn Post Yass Tribune in fact I beleive ALL ACM
Rural newsapers are closed UFN.
Not sure about News Corp such as Northern Leader Tamworth etc.
Greg, I also carry 5 independent mastheads (2 different groups) and all except for 1 sell in small but very reliable numbers and do far better than equivalent ACM tiles from the same towns.
Graeme I understand The Land & ACM daily’s e.g The Canberra Times, Newcastle Hreald & the Illawarra Mercury will continue printing.
Steve add the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser to that list and I think the Albury Border Mail and the Leeton Irrigator to the allowed to live list which consists of those that are published 6 or 7 days a week.
Do a google search and between ACM, Rupert and to a lessor extent Ch9 most of Australia’s smaller Newspaper have now been closed and last Thursday Scomo gave Media $90 million made up off, Broadcast $50 million and Print Media $ 40 million to ride out the virus. More likely in effect it paid the redundancy checks on large number of jobs I estimate as at least 1,000 plus across on the whole Rural Australia.
So, entitlements to employees are paid for by our Government while the business owners simply walk away with cash left in their pockets.
That on top of paying bugger all tax in this country.
BLOODY DISGUSTING.