The Sunday Times makes some startling predictions today of what will happen when the Government, as expected, gives the green light to a new merger regime in the regional press when the Digital Britain report is finally published next month.
The ST says:
Johnston Press and Trinity Mirror will merge.
Northcliffe will take over Newsquest's titles as its US parent Gannett pulls out of the UK.
Northcliffe will pick up the West Midlands titles of Trinity (ie. The Birmingham Post and Evening Mail). Northcliffe titles already dominate the East Midlands.
Northcliffe's Hull Daily Mail will go to Johnston Press because of JP's strong presence in Yorkshire with Yorkshire Post Newspapers.
Trinity Mirror will get the Manchester Evening News, from the Guardian Media Group, because it is seen as a good fit with Trinity's Liverpool Post and Echo titles.
If the Sunday Times is right it would leave the regional press in the UK dominated by two giants, Northcliffe and a merged Trinity Mirror-Johnston Press.
The next few months look like being a bumpy ride for the UK's regional newspaper journalists. Already battered by cut backs and redundancies, many of them face the prospect of new owners
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