sports reports in local newspapers help

Having worked in the local media for many years, we believe the time is fast approaching that The Merthyr Borough deserves a better news & sports paper than it currently receives.

Sad as it is the people are being given every other valleys news. Sport sections that are thrown in to the middle and hope a report is in.

Well what we need to know is would football, rugby cricket pubs and club sides be willing to contribute with pictures and match reports. If so then we’re on our way maybe once or twice a month to start but then weekly.

We are serious about the possible launch ready for the new season in August 2012.

Can you let us have your feelings on the matter email merthyrmercury@live.co.uk

The only reports in the Merthyr Express are contributed by the clubs themselves although many are not represented and if they did send items in, they would not all be used because that supplement covers Gwent, Merthyr, Rhymney Valley, and Rhondda Cynon Taf.So there would not be enough room!
How would a new newspaper be funded? Newspapers' circulation is on the wane anyway!
Where would it be printed and at what cost? What staff would there be and where would they be based? Who would be the editor or in other words, who would be legally responsible?
How would the paper be distributed? Who would deliver to the shops? Would the paper accept sale or return basis from the shops selling the paper?
Where would the advertising come from? Who would obtain the advertising? How many weeks could the paper survive if the money owed to them was not paid on a regular basis?
How much would the paper cost? How many pages would it have?Would shops agree to sell it?
Some years ago journalists launched The Valley News covering Merthyr, Rhymney,Aberdare, Pontypridd, and Rhondda.
I think it lasted a few issues!
I agree that Merthyr deserves a better newspaper but so do most towns these days with the plight of the newspaper industry. But the costs would be prohibitive and any scheme would be doomed to failure.And sales would not go far to recouping costs.





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Thanks for your concise reply . I 'd like to point out that the News of the valleys publication was actually part owned by both a couple of local business men funded by the owner of The Action Petrol group remember them cheap petrol suppliers they all thought they'd get cheaper advertising ( they had to continue advertising in the Celtics to maintain business). the staff they acquired came from local media unfortunately for them they forgot the Celtic titles papers were really strong at the time and people throw away freebies and had a very proactive team of works who thought the papers were the bees knees and how I wish was still the case. The Merthyr Express is losing reader hand over fist down to 10700 circulation . The main reason for the collapse is price, quality of local news and excessive pullouts .
While the figures are still quite good this does include figure for Rhymney Valley Express which is part of the series . We have costed a variety of products and would probably go for around 5000 print run and charge a nominal fee to pay the vendors and offset part of the print costs. Advertising would pay for the bulk of the costs involved. We have Editorial circulation and advertising and design staff in mind and we would be a cooperative the company would be based in Merthyr as a walk in office is essential to the community . private advertising rates would be extremely competitive cheaper to put in a birthday greeting than buying a card from Hallmark. We are not asking if people want to invest in the business but would they contribute with reports as they have done in the past with the Express. we would be developing the paper over the coming months from monthly to a more regular fortnightly and hopefully weekly. If we assume a positive attitude from the start then we can be like the Abergavenny Chronicle which works in the same way the people involved do care about their community hence the reason for looking at this project we know we won't be retiring on the proceeds but it will give us an enjoyable environment to work in.

thank again for your interest