{"id":260912,"date":"2020-06-26T21:25:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T11:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=260912"},"modified":"2020-07-01T11:48:11","modified_gmt":"2020-07-01T01:48:11","slug":"new-papers-vie-for-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/06\/26\/new-papers-vie-for-readers\/","title":{"rendered":"New Papers Vie For Readers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The South Burnett Times published its last print edition on Friday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 26, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett looks set to be at the centre of a mini newspaper “war” with two new print options set to launch next month.<\/p>\n

The rush to heritage media follows the distribution of the last print edition of the South Burnett Times on Friday.<\/p>\n

First to announce their intention to move into the South Burnett was “The Burnett”, a free newspaper produced by a\u00a0 Toogoolawah-based family company which prints “The Somerset”.<\/p>\n

“The Somerset” has been distributed in the Brisbane Valley since 2008.<\/p>\n

The company also plans to launch The Maranoa (Roma and District), The Chin Wag (Chinchilla), The Lockyer (Lockyer Valley), and The Crossing (Dalby and the Downs) next month to fill perceived gaps in the market created by News Corp’s decision to pull out of regional newspaper print production.<\/p>\n

On Friday morning, “South Burnett Today” was unveiled on ABC Local Radio.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of the Victorian-based Star News Group, South Burnett Today will maintain an office in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

According to the ABC, it will be staffed by seven former South Burnett Times employees made redundant by the print closure.<\/p>\n

The Star News Group publishes a string of community newspapers in Melbourne as well as Noosa Today and the Southern Free Times in Warwick.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the Southern Free Times enjoyed a past connection with the South Burnett prior to its purchase by Star News.<\/p>\n

Its founder also produced the short-lived South Burnett Observer which was published in Kingaroy in 2008-09.<\/p>\n

As well as “The Burnett” and “South Burnett Today”, a new community newspaper endorsed by the Nanango Tourism and Development Association (NaTDA) could be about to hit the streets.<\/p>\n

This publication aims fill the gap left when The Country Focus ceased publication in December 2015.<\/p>\n