From Wednesday 21 September Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa
will be served by new weekly newspapers.
Published by Coventry Newspapers, the Warwick Times and Royal
Leamington Spa Times will bring Trinity Mirror's total number of publications in
the Midlands to 43, adding to a portfolio which includes the Coventry Evening
Telegraph, Birmingham Evening Mail and Solihull Times.
The average issue will be over 100 pages, packed with news and
reviews from the local area and advertising platforms including recruitment,
motors and property.
The Times publications will reach 85% of homes, allowing
advertisers to reach a lucrative market in which 61% of adults are in the ABC1
socio-economic group.
To ensure consistency among Trinity Mirror's free newspapers
serving the South Warwickshire marketplace, the Kenilworth Citizen has been
renamed the Kenilworth Times. Together these newspapers will be delivered to
almost 52,000 homes, more than any other newspapers in the area.
The editorial team will be lead by Andrew Punshon, Group Series
Editor of Coventry Weekly Newspapers, and Title Editor Darren Parkin.
Andrew has almost 20 years' experience as a journalist and has
worked for newspapers including the Coventry Evening Telegraph and the Nuneaton
Tribune. Darren began his career with the group as a reporter on the Solihull
Times in 1993. He worked his way up through the ranks to become the country's
youngest newspaper editor at the age of 24 on the Wolverhampton titles.
An exclusive launch event was held at Warwick Castle on
Wednesday 21st of September to celebrate the launch of the two new titles.
The event was attended by leading companies from the area as
well as the Mayor of Leamington, who toasted the first bundle printed from the
press.
Andrew Punshon said: "We are delighted to be expanding our
operation into the Leamington and Warwick areas and I am thrilled that Darren
has agreed to edit the papers.
"We will give readers papers packed full of community-based
stories that matter to them and will endeavour to be the first with local news
and features."
Debbie Davies, Advertisement Director for Coventry Newspapers,
said: "There are so many local businesses in Warwick and Leamington Spa and the
Times series will provide them with a way to reach over 40,000 homes in these
towns."
