Readers will see more local and regional news
Welcome to the newly updated Quad Town Forum.
As of Oct. 1, the Quad Town Forum has a new owner after Grasslands News Groups (GNG) purchased the publication from Brad and Tracey Brown. Along with the Quad Town Forum, Grasslands News also publishes the Fort Qu’Appelle Times, Indian Head/Wolseley News, Kipling Clipper, Melville Advance and Whitewood/Grenfell Herald Sun.
This marks the first edition since the change of ownership and readers will notice quite a few changes with the newspaper. Along with a fresh, new look, readers will also see articles from not only the Quad Town readership area but also from other communities served by Grasslands News. In the words of Grasslands News publisher Chris Ashfield, the Forum is essentially a local newspaper that includes regional and provincial news.
“People want their own distinct newspaper but they are also interested in seeing what is happening in other communities throughout the area. So, as we do with all our publications, we will provide people with both lo-cal and regional news in the Quad Town Forum. That lets them see what’s happening in nearby communities as well as lets people in those communities see what’s happening in the communities served by the Forum,” said Ashfield.
Bringing the Quad Town Forum under their Grasslands News umbrella was a perfect fit according to Ash-field. With the company already publishing newspapers to the east, adding the Quad Town Forum closes a gap between Regina and Grasslands’ Indian Head, Fort Qu’Appelle and Kipling publications. With the addition of the Forum, Grasslands News will now serve areas along Highway 1 from Whitewood to Regina, Highway 10 from Melville to Regina and Highway 48 from Kipling to Regina. This will give businesses and organizations an affordable mechanism to reach a much larger area.
“Advertisers will have the option to extend their reach into neighbouring publications or into all six of our publications at a very minimal cost. This will allow businesses and organizations to reach new customers and ultimately grow and succeed, which in turn makes all our communities stronger,” said Ashfield.
Taking over a newspaper at a time when main stream media (MSM) is viewed negatively and while the federal government is blocking local news online is something Ashfield said people often asked him about. But he says those challenges are what makes the newspaper more important now than ever before. He said that because of things like news blocking, people are becoming disjointed from their communities. As well, many business and organizations are no longer being noticed as they get lost in the shuffle and social media overload.
“There is actually a traditional media resurgence happening all across Canada and the USA – primarily for local community newspapers that are not operated like main stream media. Advertisers have also recognized that while they see there is a need for them to be on social media, they are also seeing social media is the bare minimum that they can use when it comes to reaching people. If they want to grow or be competitive, they can’t just rely on social media. That can only be a small part of their campaign. That’s why we are seeing businesses coming back to traditional media such as the community newspapers,” said Ashfield.
“Despite the changes in technology and social media, community newspapers remain as important and rel-evant today as they always have been. In many cases, they are the only record of history for many communities. Nowhere else, than in a newspaper, can you look back 10, 20, 50 or even 100 years and find out what was happening in a community,” added Ashfield.
Other changes people will notice with the newspaper are that it is now a Friday publication and that the news and advertising deadline will move to Tuesdays at 12 noon.
The Quad Town Forum website at forumnews.ca will soon redirect people to the Grasslands News website (www.grasslandsnews.ca) where they will be able to see local and provincial news, access online editions or subscribe.
Subscription prices for Quad Town Forum readers in Saskatchewan will also see a reduction to $50 from their current $69 and $72.50 for readers outside Saskatchewan but in Canada. Online subscriptions will be $38 for the year or $5 per month, both which can be purchased through the website using a credit card.
“There will be other changes we will also look at making down the road, including perhaps offering cheaper subscriptions for people wanting to use a key-coded pick-up box, which Grasslands News uses in other communities we serve. We also want to engage with both readers and advertisers to find out what they want to see from their newspaper and make sure it’s designed to suit their needs,” said Ashfield.
People wanting to contact Grasslands News about news, advertising, subscriptions or commercial printing can call their toll free number at 1-844-GNG-NEWS (1-844-464-6397). Information about renewing or subscribing can also be found on the back page of this week’s edition.
