NEWSQUEST Media Group has acquired Romanes Media Group, a local news publishing business operating in Scotland, Berkshire and Northern Ireland, for an undisclosed sum.
The Romanes newspaper portfolio comprises one daily, 19 weekly paid-fors and nine weekly frees, and associated websites. The company employs 270 staff.
Newsquest chief executive Henry Faure Walker said: “Newsquest is focused on building one of the leading local multi-media publishing businesses in the UK, and I am delighted to welcome Romanes Media Group to the company. We operate in separate markets but this portfolio of good quality weekly titles provides a strong fit with plenty of opportunity.”
Romanes Media Group originated with the Dunfermline Press, which was founded by the Romanes family in 1859. Its local news brands include the Greenock Telegraph, the Dunfermline Press, the East Lothian Courier, the Reading Chronicle and the Impartial Reporter. The group was formed in April 2012 with a management buyout of the Dunfermline Press group after it collapsed owing more than £25 million.
A full list of titles and further information can be found at romanesmediagroup.co.uk.
