Business / End of an era – Shetland Times sold to Inverness-based publisher
THE SHETLAND Times newspaper has been sold to Inverness-based Highland News & Media for an undisclosed sum, it has been confirmed.
The last edition to be printed locally went on sale today (Friday), ending an era which spanned around 150 years.
Instead, the newspaper will now be printed in Dundee and flown up to Shetland.
As had been confirmed earlier, the company’s print operations will cease operation at the end of this month resulting in a number of job losses, while the popular bookshop and the book publishing business will continue.
The new owner’s managing director Steve Barron has said he and his team are delighted to have been able to add the Shetland Times to the company’s portfolio.
Highland News & Media is the publishers of the Inverness Courier, the Northern Scot and six other local papers in the north of Scotland.
In a short frontpage statement this morning (Friday) Shetland Times Ltd director Robert Wishart said he hoped the sale will give the paper a new lease of life. “A few weeks ago I feared that not only our family ties to the paper but the newspaper itself was finished,” he said.
“Now I’m delighted that Steve Barron and Highland News and Media have raced to ensure continuity of production following our abrupt decision to end printing of the paper at Gremista.”
The paper’s five journalists and two advertising staff will transfer to Highland News & Media employment.
From next week a more compact and full-colour Shetland Times will be printed on the Scottish mainland, and appear in some local shops a day earlier than usual.
Barron declined the offer to be interviewed by Shetland News at this time, but in a statement he added: “The Shetland Times is an excellent local newspaper which passionately represents and champions the community it serves – credit to long-term owners Robert and June Wishart who have clearly been committed to local journalism and the Shetland community.
“These values are closely aligned with our own.
“The method of consumption may be changing but local news is as important as ever.”
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