Newsagents body slams Johnston Press cuts
Johnston Press has been criticised by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) for the decision to turn five of its newspapers into weeklies.
The plans, announced by Johnston press earlier this month, will see the Halifax Courier, Scarborough Evening News, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Peterborough Evening Telegraph and the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph go weekly from next month.
NRFN national president, Kieran McDonnell, condemned the move, saying: "This is yet another assault by Johnston Press on the livelihoods of local news retailers. Moving these five titles from daily to weekly publication represents a potential loss of 420,000 copies a week. This will have a massive impact on the revenues of hard working newsagents as millions of pounds are wiped out of the retail market.”
McDonnell added that many young paperboys and girls could also find themselves out of work now that fewer deliveries will be needed.
He is now demanding an urgent meeting with Johnston Press chief executive, Ashley Highfield.
The National Federation of Retail Newsagents says it accounts for 30 percent of newspaper sales.