Independent Yorkshire-based publisher Chronicle Publications has announced plans to merge the Selby Post and the Selby Times into one title.
The Selby Times & Post will be published every Thursday and the cover price will be 50p. The new site (at www.selbytimes.info) will go live on launch date.
The merger news comes as Chronicle completed the acquisition of the Selby Times and the Goole Courier titles from Johnston Press earlier this week.
It already owned the Goole Times and Selby Post weeklies.
Last year Johnston Press increased the cover price of the Selby Times – which was first published in 1860 – from 50p to 70p and changed the on-sale date from Thursday to Wednesdays.
Chronicle was not in a position to comment about staff numbers, pagination or circulation for the new title, or whether the merger would result in any job losses.
Chronicle Publications director Mark Dunkerley said: “We are really delighted with this acquisition. The Selby Times and Goole Courier titles fit perfectly in the geography of titles we already publish and bring additional strong brands into our newspaper portfolio.
“As well as providing excellent opportunities for advertisers in their own right, with our ownership the titles will also offer great new selling platforms when paired with our other title, the Goole Times.
“As a company we are very keen to expand into new markets wherever possible and see this acquisition as an outstanding growth opportunity.
“We are pleased to be in a position to continue to expand in this way, even in the current tough economic climate.”
The latest ABC figures show that circulation at the Selby Times fell by 17.4% year-on-year to 5,765 copies. The Goole Courier’s circulation remained unchanged at 13,181.
