The regional newspaper publisher Newsquest is in exclusive talks with rival Archant about a takeover that would unite the publishers of the North Wales Pioneer and
the Eastern Daily Press.
Sky News has learnt that Newsquest, which is itself owned by the US-based publisher Gannett, has seen off competing bidders to secure a period of exclusivity within which to strike a deal.
It began a sale process several weeks ago, and drew interest from the sector’s other big players: Reach, the owner of the Daily Mirror and Daily Express, and National World, which owns JPI Media, another of the local news market’s major publishers.