TWO publishing groups are going head-to-head with free newspapers for both the south side and the west end of Glasgow.
Yesterday, Spike reported the launch, on Wednesday, of Local News for Westenders, on the back of ten years running Local News for Southsiders.
But two other free sheets – Southside News and West End News – have also been launched, this time by a former magazine publisher at The Herald.
The reason for the head-to-head is that Campbell Murdoch and his co-director at Premier Publishing and Events Ltd – the company behind Southside News and West End News – had been in talks with the owner of Local News for Southsiders about a possible take-over.
When the parties failed to agree a price, Murdoch and co-director, Derek Williams, decided to set up on their own.
To make matters more interesting, both publishers operate out of the same premises: at 73 Robertson Street, in Glasgow.
Says Murdoch: “We moved in when we were thinking we’d be all one happy family. My attitude is we’re just keen to build a business. There’s no rancour involved.”
20,000 copies each of Southside News and West End News were distributed.
