View source for Archant

{{short description|Media and publishing company based in Norwich, England}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=March 2017}}
{{original research|date=March 2017}}
{{advert|date=March 2017}}
}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Archant Limited
| logo = Archant logo.png
| logo_size = 170px
| type = [[Private company limited by shares|Private limited company]]
| traded_as = 
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| founder = Jacob Henry Tillett, Jeremiah Colman, John and Jonathan Copeman
| defunct = 
| fate = 
| area_served = 
| key_people = Lorna Willis (Chief Executive Officer)
| industry = Media
| genre = 
| products = Newspapers, magazines
| services = 
| revenue = £87.2&nbsp;million (2018)<ref name=annrep>{{cite web|url=http://www.archant.co.uk/assets/downloads/ARA2011.pdf|title=Annual Report 2018|access-date=27 February 2018|publisher=Archant}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| aum = 
| assets = 
| equity = 
| owner = [[Gannett]]
| num_employees = Approx. 950
| parent = [[Newsquest]]
| footnotes = 
| caption = 
| foundation = 1845
| location_city = [[Norwich]]
| location_country = England, UK
| location = 
| locations = 
| profit = £+1.7m (Underlying Profit) £-6.63m (Operating Profit) (2018)<ref name=annrep/>
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.archant.co.uk}}
}}
'''Archant Limited''' is a newspaper and magazine publishing company with headquarters in [[Norwich]], England. The group publishes four daily newspapers, around 50 weekly newspapers, and 80 consumer and contract magazines. The company is a subsidiary of [[Newsquest]], which is owned by American newspaper publishing company [[Gannett]].

Archant employs around 1,250 employees, mainly in [[East Anglia]], the [[Home counties]] and the [[West Country]], and was known as '''Eastern Counties Newspapers Group''' until March 2002.

==History==

===1845 to 1900===
The company began publishing in Norwich in 1845 with ''Norfolk News'', backed by Jacob Henry Tillet, [[Jeremiah Colman]], John and Johnathan Copeman. The Colman and Copeman families still retain close involvement in the business.

The ''Eastern Weekly Press'' was launched in 1867 and in 1870 was renamed the ''[[Eastern Daily Press]]''. A sister title, the ''[[Norwich Evening News|Eastern Evening News]]'', was launched in 1882.

===1900 to 2000===
As the business grew it moved premises in 1902, 1959 and again in the late 1960s to its present headquarters location at Prospect House in the centre of Norwich.

At the end of the 1960s, Eastern Counties Newspapers merged with the East Anglian Daily Times Company, publisher of the ''[[East Anglian Daily Times]]'', to form Eastern Counties Newspapers Group (ECNG).

ECNG developed further with the launch of Community Media Limited in 1981, a weeklies publishing operation based in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], which launched and acquired titles in [[Scotland]] and the West Country.

In 1985, ECNG purchased the East Anglia-based ''Advertiser'' group of weekly free newspapers. These businesses operated as separate entities until the mid-1990s when they were brought together under the ECNG banner.

ECNG acquired four weekly newspapers in [[Huntingdon]], [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]], [[Wisbech]] and [[March, Cambridgeshire|March]] from Thomson in 1993. The acquisition of Peterhead-based P Scrogie followed shortly afterwards.

In 1995 the company opened a new 25m Print Center in Thorpe, Norwich, with Goss HT70 Presses and Muller-Martini Mailroom Equipment, Replacing the Goss Metro Presses at Prospect House.

The company moved into Internet publishing in 1996 when it launched '''Eastern Counties Network''', a Web-based service using copy from its four daily newspapers as well as original material. Later this was disaggregated into separate websites for each of the newspapers.

In April 1998, ECNG bought Home Counties Newspapers Holdings plc with an agreed bid of approximately £58&nbsp;million. The bid earned the company the nickname of "The [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corp.]] of East Anglia". HCNH published a range of 26 weekly paid and free titles across [[Greater London]] and the Home Counties. The title portfolio included the ''Hampstead & Highgate Express'', the ''[[South Essex Recorder]]'' series, the ''[[Herts Advertiser]]'' series, the ''Comet'' series, the ''Herald'' group and the ''[[Welwyn Hatfield|Welwyn & Hatfield Times]]''.

Consumer magazine publisher Market Link Publishing, now '''Archant Specialist''', based in [[Essex]] was acquired by ECNG for £5&nbsp;million in autumn 1999. Its titles now include ''[[Photography Monthly]]'', ''[[Professional Photographer]]'', ''Pilot'', ''Sport Diver'', ''Complete France'', which sponsors a French forum, ''French Property News'', ''Living France'', and ''France Property Shop''. It also sponsors ''The France Show'' at Olympia and ''The French Property Exhibitions'' in London and Yorkshire.

===2000 to present===
[[File:Prospect House, Norwich.png|thumb|Prospect House, the current headquarters of Archant.]]
The launch of a county magazine in [[Norfolk]] in 2000 saw the beginning of what is now '''Archant Life''', the country's biggest publisher of county magazines. The division was subsequently scaled through multiple acquisitions in the [[North West England|North West]], the [[Cotswolds]] and the [[Southern England|South]] and [[South East England|South East of England]].

In March 2002, ECNG changed its name to Archant, prompted by the company's broadening geographic scope and growing range of its activities.

In December 2003, Archant purchased 27 weekly newspapers from [[Independent News & Media]] in two separate deals worth up to £62&nbsp;million. The titles included the ''Hackney Gazette'', ''Islington Gazette'', the ''East London Advertiser'', the ''Barking & Dagenham Post'', the ''Bexley Times'' and the ''Bromley Times''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/26490|title=Archant's London deal cleared|access-date=3 March 2013|publisher=Press Gazette|date=4 August 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508070401/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/26490|archive-date=8 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2007, Archant Scotland's eight newspaper titles were sold to Johnston Press for around £11&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/36654|title=Johnston acquires Archant's Scottish titles|access-date=3 March 2013|publisher=Press Gazette|date=19 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508110815/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/36654|archive-date=8 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In February 2008, Archant acquired Compass Magazines and its four monthly regional magazines in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/40405|title=Archant Life expands portfolio with four new magazines|access-date=3 March 2013|publisher=Press Gazette|date=27 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508093526/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/40405|archive-date=8 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In September 2009, Archant Print completed an £8&nbsp;million project to bring its press centre in Norwich up to ten printing towers with associated equipment.

In November 2009, Archant launched Great British Life, a website portal. In the same month, Archant launched [[Subscription Save]], a dedicated magazine subscriptions portal for their publications.

In May 2010, Archant launched ''Cambridge First'', a weekly newspaper in Cambridge.

In June 2010, Archant acquired [[KOS Media|KOS Media Publishing Ltd]], the publisher of ''[[Kent on Sunday]]'' and a series of free weekly newspapers, magazines, websites and mobile products, for an undisclosed sum.<ref>[http://www.archant.co.uk/news_article.aspx?aid=100 Archant acquires KOS Media] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813232930/http://www.archant.co.uk/news_article.aspx?aid=100 |date=13 August 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1011348/Archant-takes-full-control-publisher-Kent-Sunday/|title=Archant takes full control of publisher of Kent on Sunday|access-date=3 March 2013|publisher=Media Week|date=22 June 2010}}</ref>

In February 2011, Archant London launched an all-new news & information website for London – London24.

In May 2011, Archant Life acquired the ''Wye Valley Life'' and ''Life in The Marches'' titles from Wye Valley Media Ltd.

In November 2011, Archant completed a change to its legal structure to simplify the trading companies into one single legal entity, now called Archant Community Media Limited. This does not change the name of the group which remains as Archant Ltd.

In January 2012, Archant launched the unique iwitness24 community news platform that aims to transform the way it gathers news. It is designed to allow readers to contribute pictures and videos in a quick and easy way.

In January 2013, saw a move into local TV with the launch of [[Mustard TV]] online in Norwich.

In August 2013, Archant announced the completion of the acquisition of www.planningfinder.com.

In July 2016 Archant announced a new weekly 'pop-up newspaper', ''[[The New European]]'', designed in response to the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|UK's vote to leave the European Union]]. With a cover price of £2, it was initially intended to run for four editions only;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/uks-first-ever-pop-up-newspaper-the-new-european-launched-response-brexit-a7117691.html|title=UK's first ever 'pop up newspaper' to be launched in response to Brexit|date=3 July 2016|newspaper=The Independent|first=Will|last=Worley|access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref>

In August 2017 Mustard TV closed, having been sold to the [[That's TV]] Group.

In December 2017, Archant won a €676,000.00 grant from Google's [[Digital News Initiative]]. The project, Local Recall, aims to bring 150 years of newspapers back to life through the latest technology; chatbots. Archant, in partnership with local artificial intelligence leaders ubisend,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.ubisend.com/discover-chatbots/google-ubisend-archant|title=Backed by Google: ubisend and Archant Bring Old Newspapers to Life|date=15 December 2017}}</ref> take on this two-year challenge to make their archived newspapers available via voice and text chatbots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/dnifund/dni-projects/local-recall-modernising-archive-content-round-4|title=Local Recall - Modernising archive content |date=December 2017}}</ref> However, as of May 2023, the project website is no longer available and redirects to the EDP24 homepage.  No explanation has been given for this, or where the money has gone.

In September 2019 Archant announced its intention to out-source all newspaper printing to Newsprinters (Broxbourne) Ltd. from 10 November 2019, and close the Archant Print Center in Thorpe St. Andrew's Norwich, bringing to an end 174 years of newspaper printing in the city.   In a letter to staff, Archant said the decision had been taken due to "changes" in the newspaper industry and the move will provide "substantial cost savings".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-49825575|title=Publishing group to close printworks|date=2019-09-25|access-date=2019-10-19|language=en-GB}}</ref> Approximately 95 Norwich Jobs will be lost as a direct result of this change.

In January 2020 Archant sold its headquarters, Prospect House, to regional insurance firm Alan Boswell Group.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.alanboswell.com/news/alan-boswell-group-to-move-into-norwich-city-centre/|title=Alan Boswell Group to move into Norwich city centre|publisher=Alan Boswell Group|date=2019-11-07|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In July 2020, Archant announced it had put itself up for sale and was willing to plug a funding deficit exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic's disastrous impact on industry-wide advertising revenues.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-new-european-publisher-archant-hunts-new-owners-12020958|title=Coronavirus: New European publisher Archant hunts new owners|publisher=Sky News|date=4 July 2020|access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref> 

On 30 August it was announced that the operational units of Archant had been sold to private equity firm [[Rcapital Partners]], (and the pension funds transferred to UK Government [[Pension Protection Fund]]); the holding companies were put into administration, making the existing shares worthless.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mayhew |first=Freddy |date=2020-08-28 |title=Archant bought by private equity: Shareholders wiped out, government set to take over pension fund |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/archant-bought-out-new-owner-shareholders/ |access-date=2020-09-03 |website=[[Press Gazette]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In March 2022, Rcapital sold the group to American media giant [[Gannett]] via its British subsidiary [[Newsquest]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.newsquest.co.uk/news/newsquest-media-group-acquires-archant|title= Newsquest Media Group acquires Archant |last= |first= |date= 18 March 2022|website= |publisher= Newsquest|access-date= 9 May 2022|quote=}}</ref>

==Publications==

=== Magazines ===
Online and print magazines include:<ref name="Magazines">{{cite web | url=https://www.archant.co.uk/brands/media/magazines/ | title=Our Products & Services: Magazines | access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="Websites">{{cite web | url=https://www.archant.co.uk/brands/media/websites/ | title=Our Products & Services: Websites | publisher=Archant | access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref>
* ''Airgun World''
* ''Archant Life'' county magazines:<ref name="history">{{cite web | url=https://www.archant.co.uk/articles/about-us-our-history/ | title=About us: Our history | publisher=Archant | access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref>
** ''Hampshire Life''
** ''Kent Life''<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kent-life.co.uk/home | title=Kent Life | publisher=Archant Community Media | access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref>
** ''Somerset Life''
** ''Sussex Life''
** ''Essex Life''
**''Norfolk Magazine''
**''Suffolk Magazine''
**''Cheshire Life''
**''Cornwall Life''
**''Cotswold Life''
**''Derbyshire Life''
**''Devon Life''
**''Dorset Magazine''
**''East Suffolk Living''
**''Exeter & East Devon Life''
**''Hertfordshire Life''
**''Lancashire Life''
**''Life in North Wales''
**''Surrey Life''
**''West Essex Life''
**''Yorkshire Life''

===Daily newspapers===
* ''[[East Anglian Daily Times]]''
* ''[[Eastern Daily Press|Eastern Daily Press (EDP)]]''
* ''[[Norwich Evening News]]''
* ''[[Ipswich Star]]''

===Weekly paid newspapers===
Many of the paid for titles have free online edition (web pages, some also have a digital facsimile of the print edition including advertisements)
* ''[[Barking & Dagenham Post]]'' – [[Barking, London|Barking]] and [[Dagenham]], London
* ''Beccles and Bungay Journal'' – [[Beccles]] and [[Bungay, Suffolk|Bungay]]
* ''[[Brent & Kilburn Times]]'' – [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]] and [[Kilburn, London|Kilburn]], London
* ''Cambs Times'' – [[Cambridgeshire]]
* ''Dereham & Fakenham Times'' – [[Dereham]] and [[Fakenham]]
* ''[[Docklands and East London Advertiser]]''— East London
* ''Ely Standard'' – [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]]
* ''[[Exmouth Journal]]'' – [[Exmouth]]
* ''[[Great Yarmouth Mercury]]'' – [[Great Yarmouth]]
* ''Green Un'' – an [[Ipswich]]-based [[Association football]] weekly
* ''Hackney Gazette'' – [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]], London
* ''Hampstead & Highgate Express ([[Ham & High]])'' – [[Hampstead]] and [[Highgate]], London (Paid with limited free distribution)
* ''Ilford Recorder'' – [[Ilford]]
* ''[[Islington Gazette]]'' – [[Islington]], London
* ''Lowestoft Journal'' – [[Lowestoft]]
* ''[[Newham Recorder]]'' – [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]], London
* ''[[North Norfolk News]]'' – [[North Norfolk]]
* ''[[The Pink'un]]'' – a [[Norwich]]-based Association football weekly (digital only)
* ''[[Romford Recorder]]'' – [[Romford]]
* ''[[Royston Crow (newspaper)|Royston Crow]]'' – [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]]
* ''[[Sidmouth Herald]]'' – [[Sidmouth]]
* ''Welwyn Hatfield Times'' – [[Welwyn Garden City]], [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]] and [[Potters Bar]]
* ''[[The Weston & Somerset Mercury]]'' – [[Weston-super-Mare]] and [[Somerset]]
* ''Wood & Vale'' – [[St John's Wood]], [[Marylebone]] and [[Maida Vale]], London (Paid with limited free distribution)

===Weekly free newspapers===
* ''Diss Mercury''— [[Diss, Norfolk|Diss]]
* ''Dunmow Broadcast & Recorder'' – [[Great Dunmow]]
* ''Exmouth Herald'' – [[Exmouth]]
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[Coastal]] edition (East [[Suffolk]])
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[Great Yarmouth]] edition
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[Ipswich]] edition - <ref>http://qt.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx?newspaper=the+ipswich+advertiser&cid=9vrf&google=1 Ipswich Advertiser no longer in existence</ref> no longer in existence as of 24 June 2020
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[North Norfolk]] edition
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[South Norfolk]] edition
* ''The Advertiser'' – [[Waveney District|Waveney]] edition
* [[The Comet (newspaper)|''Comet'' Series]] – [[North Hertfordshire]]
* ''Havering Post'' – [[London Borough of Havering|Havering]], London
* ''Herts Advertiser Series'' – [[St Albans]] & [[Harpenden]]
* ''The Hunts Post'' –  [[Huntingdonshire]]<ref>http://www.huntspost.co.uk/home/about-us About The Hunts Post</ref>
* ''[[Midweek Herald]]'' – [[East Devon]]
* ''North Devon Gazette & Advertiser'' – [[North Devon]]
* ''[[North Somerset Times]]'' – [[North Somerset]]
* ''[https://www.norwichextra.co.uk Norwich Extra]'' – Delivered every three weeks from 11 November 2019; a decision "driven by our publishing strategy to serve or local communities as effectively as possible while also maximizing the response for advertising clients" 
* ''Property Extra''
* ''Saffron Walden Reporter'' – [[Saffron Walden]]
* ''[[Sidmouth Herald]]'' – [[Sidmouth]]
* ''Watton Times'' – [[Thetford]] & [[Watton, Norfolk|Watton]], Norfolk
* ''West Suffolk Mercury Series'' – West [[Suffolk]]
* ''Weston-super-Mare Admag'' – [[Weston-super-Mare]]
* ''Wisbech Standard'' – [[Wisbech]]
* ''Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury'' – [[Wymondham]] & [[Attleborough]]

===Former newspapers===
* ''Herts Herald'' – [[East Hertfordshire]]
* ''[[Kent on Sunday]]'' – Kent, Southeast London
* ''yourashford'' – [[Ashford, Kent]]
* ''yourcanterbury'' – [[Canterbury]]
* ''yourdeal'' – [[Deal, Kent]]
* ''yourdover'' – [[Dover]]
* ''yourmaidstone'' – [[Maidstone]]
* ''yourmedway'' – [[Medway]]
* ''yoursandwich'' – [[Sandwich, Kent]]
* ''yourshepway'' – [[Folkestone and Hythe (District)|Folkestone and Hythe]]
* ''yourswale'' – [[Borough of Swale|Swale]]
* ''yourthanet'' – [[Thanet District|Thanet]]
* ''[[The New European]]'' - national <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/the-new-european-sale-7297100 |title=The New European is under new ownership &#124; the New European |access-date=26 February 2021 |archive-date=22 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222144720/https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/the-new-european-sale-7297100 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.archant.co.uk Official website]

{{Archant}}
{{Media in the United Kingdom|comporg}}
{{Gannett}}

[[Category:Archant| ]]
[[Category:Gannett]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1845]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1845]]
[[Category:1845 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies based in Norwich]]
[[Category:Publishing companies of England]]