18th BIRTHDAY SUPPLEMENT
7 March 2012
Vol 19 • Issue 10
www.champnews.com
Where it all began
THE CHAMPION AWARD-WINNING EDITORIAL TEAM
The Champion may not have had an auspicious start, it’s first edition was produced with sales staff working out of the Scarisbrick Hotel, the editorial team gathered the news from the editor’s home and the administration and accounts were based in a garden shed. The newspaper itself was put together on B & Q paste tables and the staff had a whip-round to pay the printer up front. It may not have been the most auspicious
Part of today’s Champion team
SPECIAL REPORT by David Simister The surprise launch of the Champion 18 years ago was in defiance of the Southport Globe being sold to a rival publisher, closed down and the loyal staff being made redundant.
So, in true Champion spirit, the staff decided to launch their own title. Within four days of losing their jobs the first edition of the Champion hit the streets! Rival publishing groups scoffed and claimed it would never last. But, with each edition the Champion grew stronger and despite several attempts to thwart its progress it proved unstoppable. Readers and advertisers were quick to support the new title and their encouragement was a key factor in the title’s success. Eighteen years later there are seven titles in the group with a
combined circulation of just over 166,000 copies. It has become the largest weekly newspaper group in the area. In this special supplement we reflect on that first edition and look at some of the exciting stories and events we have covered over the years. We focus on local businesses with their own success stories. Today we employ almost 50 people at our head office and distribution centre in Southport and over 740 people earn a steady income every week as Champion distributors.
launch but it was certainly the most exciting. It is still just as exciting and perhaps even more so as we, like most other businesses, find ways to succeed in today’s market. We are proud of our publishing history and the contribution we make to the communities we serve. We still believe in the power and the integrity of local newspapers and the vital role they play in supporting the local economy.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAMPION’S MD For the past eighteen years I have been proud to work alongside the Champion team and I am delighted to have this opportunity to thank them for their loyalty and hard work. A special thanks to our unsung heroes and heroines who brave all weathers and conditions to deliver your Champion. And finally, a sincere thank you to our readers, advertisers and suppliers for their help and support.
Champion Newspapers · www.champnews.com Clare House, 166 Lord Street. Southport PR9 0QA · Tel 01704 392392 © 2012 Champion Media Group. All rights reserved. All details and information contained herein believed correct at time of going to press but are subject to change without notice. Designed by Mike Rose, Champion Creative Team