Regional publisher ACM has brought its ‘weekend collection’ treatment to more than a dozen NSW newspapers.

But unlike the state’s Central West – where print dailies in Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange shut in favour of weekend editions last July, and eight weeklies closed altogether – the latest crop of ACM changes are mostly midweek editions moving to the weekend, when national sales director Sam Westaway says “more people have the desire and time” for a printed newspaper.

In a statement published on LinkedIn and linked to AI-processed news site Mi3, Australian Community Media said it was “thrilled to announce” that it was “expanding its regional reach” by launching 14 “new weekend newspapers” across 28 regional centres, “in a strategic bid to enhance local news delivery and provide advertisers with increased opportunities to engage with regional audiences”.

Affected mastheads are in Goulburn (Goulburn Post), Bega Valley (Bega District News), Port Macquarie (Port Macquarie News), Foster and Tuncurry (where the Great Lakes Advocate competes with the free Forster Fortnightly), Batemans Bay (Bay Post & Moruya Examiner), Bowral (where ACM’s Southern Highland News claims to be “the only paid newspaper in the district”), Armidale (Armidale Express, established 1856), Griffith (The Area News dates to 1923), Leeton (where the weekly Irrigator has been published since 1915), Mudgee (where the Mudgee Guardian and Gulgong Advertiser dates to 1890), Nowra (South Coast Register), Taree (where the Manning River Times used to share the town with author Di Morrissey’s Manning Community News, pictured, until its closure last year after almost a decade of publication), Kempsey (the previously twice-weekly Macleay Argus first appeared in 1885, later absorbing the Chronicle, which dated to 1878), and Lithgow (ACM’s previously tri-weekly Lithgow Mercury shared the Lithgow-Bathurst space with free independent Central West Village Voice).

Like it or not, the publisher is upbeat about a change it says “further strengthens our commitment to serving local communities and offering advertisers unmatched access to regional Australians”. Westaway says the ‘Weekend Collection’ provides “an indulgent, lean-in weekend read in print when more people have the desire and time for their printed newspaper.

“Australians spend three times longer reading weekend newspapers than weekday newspapers – which presents a deeply engaged audience for advertisers. This change also expands our reach by 20 per cent, making it easier to reach regional Australians.”

Features of the weekend product include a travel lift-out, an expanded lifestyle section, and the View.com.au property section, as well as new columnists, local news and sport.

Pictured (top) the Armidale Express has moved from a midweek slot; ACM staffers welcome the move (photo ACM); and (bottom) Di Morrissey’s Manning Community News bowed out last year.