Even greater potential for advertisers following purchase of major Brighton and Hove title

Johnston Press, which publishes this newspaper and its website along with most of the other quality newspapers in East and West Sussex, has welcomed the Brighton and Hove Independent to its family of titles.

The free weekly Independent distributes more copies per issue in the city than any other newspaper, boasting a weekly print circulation of 13,005 copies*.

The title, which launched in 2011, has a targeted network of more than 300 distribution points across Brighton and Hove – as far north as Falmer, east to Brighton Marina and west to Portslade. It has a highly-popular associated website: www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk and @BrightonIndy has nearly 7,000 Twitter followers.

“The Brighton & Hove Independent perfectly complements our portfolio on the south coast. It’s a great title with a superb reputation with both readers and advertisers,” said Johnston Press’ Chief Executive Officer Ashley Highfield.

“We are very pleased to welcome this well-respected newspaper and website to our stable as we further our efforts to expand our reach in the area. It’s a small but terrific team - who produce an excellent newspaper and website - and we’re very happy to have them on board.”

Editor In Chief Gary Shipton said the inclusion of the Independent meant the company could now offer advertisers and readers comprehensive and unrivalled coverage throughout Sussex - through newspapers, websites, social media, and the award-winning Etc magazine.

He added that the acquisition will result in even more investment in quality journalism across the region.

Managing Director for Johnston Press in the South of England Karl Dimmock said he was delighted by the acquisition which will ensure the company gives its customers an even wider reach across Sussex.

Speaking about the acquisition, Mark Ansell, Founder and Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Independent, said: “It’s a landmark day for us. We started Brighton & Hove Independent with an ambition to change the media landscape, to do things differently. More than ever before, we will be able to serve our city and its residents; there are many voices we have not yet heard, many stones left unturned.

“Being part of Johnston Press will allow Brighton & Hove Independent to fast-track growth, to provide even more comprehensive coverage for the city, and to go from strength to strength.”

The Brighton & Hove Independent will join the 32 other newsbrands in the Johnston Press South region, which includes one of JP’s flagship titles, The News - Portsmouth’s award-winning daily newspaper and website - as well as the Chichester Observer Series, West Sussex County Times Series, Mid Sussex Times, Worthing Herald Series, Littlehampton Gazette, West Sussex Gazette, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express Series, Weekend Herald Series, Bognor View, Worthing Advertiser Series, Eastbourne Herald Series, Eastbourne Gazette, Hastings Observer Series, and the broadsheet Horsham Gazette which was launched to huge acclaim and success this year.

Johnston Press is one of the UK’s largest local media companies, with an average monthly audience of almost 27m.

The group owns 13 paid-for daily newspapers, 195 paid-for weekly newspapers, 40 free titles, ten lifestyle magazines and 198 local news and e-commerce websites.

*The average circulation of Brighton & Hove Independent in August – December 2014 - verified by ABC, the industry-standard Audit Bureau of Circulations (www.abc.org.uk) - was 13,005 per issue.

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