One year on three Christchurch community newspapers are back

Back at the heart of our communities: One year on three much loved community newspapers are back in Christchurch!

Since the February 22nd earthquake last year, Mainland Press Ltd, a family owned Christchurch media firm, has not published its three popular and well established community newspapers: Norwest News, Pegasus Bay News and Southern View, due to the impact on the business from this event and the changes to our city that the continuing aftershocks have brought. Since the week following the earthquake, we have instead published a city wide free newspaper, the Mainland Press, which has been a hugely popular read for the people of Christchurch and been a strong proponent of our city, known for its optimistic perspective and belief in Christchurch's future. Mainland Press Ltd also now houses CTV and the two companies operate as a combined media presence in the city.

With the anniversary of the February earthquake, and after feedback from readers, we are delighted to be re-launching NorWest News, Pegasus Bay News and Southern View. A fourth newspaper, Bay Harbour News, circulating in the Sumner and Lyttelton areas for 11 years before the earthquakes was re-launched in July 2011 following the June aftershocks that devastated that area.

From Thursday March 1st Mainland Press Ltd will publish the Mainland Press newspaper as a single weekly edition on Thursdays, and uniquely - using innovative print technology - we will publish our local newspapers within the Mainland Press as a pull out, with each newspaper being distributed to its local area. Mainland Press will still cover stories and features that are of interest to readers throughout Christchurch, but with a genuine community paper - with exclusive local editorial, focusing on the people that make our communities tick - inside!

Pier Smulders, Mainland Press Ltd Managing Director, says "our commitment to Christchurch is to be back at the heart of our local communities, as our city recovers we need strong and vibrant local papers. We also want to build on the success of the Mainland Press newspaper and offer our readers and advertisers something different in what is a crowded media market dominated by multinational groups."

"We are thrilled and proud that we are re-launching our papers. It's quite emotional as this brings our business back to where we were before all the turmoil of the past year. I hope that for readers they will be happy to see these papers back in their mailboxes. And by moving Mainland Press to Thursday we become the only free newspaper in Christchurch on that day, offering advertisers a truly cost effective and differentiated way to reach customers, either locally, or across the city. For our readers, Thursday provides the opportunity to make decisions on consumer purchases over the strongest three retail days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

A new community paper, Selwyn View, circulating throughout the Selwyn District, is launching next week. Together, our newspapers will have a combined circulation of 86,935.

About Mainland Press Limited
Mainland Press is a locally owned media group publishing community newspapers throughout the greater Christchurch region, the Buy Sell & Exchange classified newspaper, weekly motoring guide Best Motorbuys, glossy lifestyle monthly CC: Celebrating Christchurch , Older & Bolder, the national lifestyle magazine for the over 50s age group and the RiseupChristchurch facebook community.

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