Newsquest Media Group announced that it has completed the acquisition of Archant Community Media Ltd from Rcapital, a private investment firm. Rcapital has owned the Archant business since September 2020.
Henry Faure Walker, Newsquest’s CEO commented: “We’re really looking forward to working with the Archant team who have done a phenomenal job rebuilding the business after it when through a Company Voluntary Arrangement 18 months ago. The Archant strategy of building out digital marketing solutions and digital subscriptions is closely aligned with our own; and the additional scale that our combination brings will greatly assist Archant’s local news and Life brands in building a stronger future.”
Lorna Willis, Archant’s CEO commented: “By bringing the best of Archant and Newsquest together we have the opportunity to lead the way in building an exciting future for regional media, a future that speaks to growth, innovation and sustainability, built on quality local journalism.”
“Archant’s management team, led by Lorna Willis (CEO) and Nick Steven-Jones (CFO/COO), should be very proud of what they achieved over the past 18 months. With the support of Rcapital, they have formed a unique partnership with the courage and confidence to successfully transform this business. The working relationship has been fantastic from the outset and the progress we have made in a relatively short period is extremely impressive. I wish them every success for the future as they move into their next phase of Archant’s long and celebrated history.” Ash Reek, Chairman
Archant owns a portfolio of leading local news brands principally in East Anglia, and also publishes a portfolio of successful regional County Life magazines. Its news brands include the Eastern Daily Press (EDP), the East Anglia Daily Times, Norwich Evening News, and Ipswich Star. Archant employs 760 staff and its head office is in Norwich.