Brum Newspaper war. - Could it spill over to Coventry?
Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:25 am
Re: Brum Newspaper war. - Could it spill over to Coventry?
Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:31 pm
Re: Brum Newspaper war. - Could it spill over to Coventry?
Thu Apr 15, 2010 3:51 am
Having read Bullivant's proposals for Birmingham and also having a "pretty good" idea of the situation in Coventry, I would say the chances of the same thing happening here are very slim indeed.
As it happens there was a newspaper war in Coventry in 1963-64. It was between the Coventry Standard and Coventry Express. Both were weekly publications. The Standard was printed in black & white as was as dull as dishwater. The Express was printed in magazine-quality colour, brash, exciting and very popular. I asked my dad what happened to the Express and he said that Lord Illife invoked an ancient statute which gave his family the exclusive rights to publish any paid circulation newspaper in Coventry. I don't know if that was true or not? In any case the assets and colour press of the Express were acquired by Iliffe who used them to publish a colour version of the Standard (still as dull as dishwater and ultimately doomed) along with occasional promotional covers for the Telegraph which Iliffe also owned.
As it happens there was a newspaper war in Coventry in 1963-64. It was between the Coventry Standard and Coventry Express. Both were weekly publications. The Standard was printed in black & white as was as dull as dishwater. The Express was printed in magazine-quality colour, brash, exciting and very popular. I asked my dad what happened to the Express and he said that Lord Illife invoked an ancient statute which gave his family the exclusive rights to publish any paid circulation newspaper in Coventry. I don't know if that was true or not? In any case the assets and colour press of the Express were acquired by Iliffe who used them to publish a colour version of the Standard (still as dull as dishwater and ultimately doomed) along with occasional promotional covers for the Telegraph which Iliffe also owned.
Re: Brum Newspaper war. - Could it spill over to Coventry?
Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:00 am
Apparently, Trinity Mirror have suspended publication of one of the Birmingham magazines in order to fund this "war". Is it possible that the CT could become even more merged with its Birmingham sisters and we start to see an even more regional paper? - Just wondering out loud. 
Re: Brum Newspaper war. - Could it spill over to Coventry?
Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:19 am
rebbonk wrote:Apparently, Trinity Mirror have suspended publication of one of the Birmingham magazines in order to fund this "war". Is it possible that the CT could become even more merged with its Birmingham sisters and we start to see an even more regional paper? - Just wondering out loud.
I know for a fact that their Coventry discussion forum is to be merged (sort of) with the Birmingham Mail/Sunday Mercury, etc forums. There will still be a Coventry Telegraph section but readers will have to scroll down the combined main index page to find it. (Martin Smith alias "Smithers" is admin for all three).
It already happened with Trinity-Mirror north-west region which is now entirely dominated by the Liverpool Echo readers in general and Liverpool football club supporters in particular, regardless of whereabouts in the north-west people actually live or what their interests are. Take a look here to see what I mean: http://forums.liverpoolecho.co.uk/
Transposed to here it is reasonable to assume that the newly-merged Trinity-Mirror Midlands regional forum will be dominated by the Birmingham Mail in general and Aston Villa supporters in particular.