Bedfordshire on Sunday (BoS) was a free local newspaper published in Bedfordshire, England. It was distributed as two editions, one covering the Borough of Bedford, the other edition serves Central Bedfordshire. The gross distribution was around 112,000.
| Type | Sunday newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Local World |
| Editor | Sarah Cox |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Political alignment | Independent, centrist |
| Ceased publication | 1 October 2017 |
| Headquarters | Bedford, England |
| Website | bedfordshire-news.co.uk |
Distribution
editThe newspaper was distributed either by delivery through letterboxes on a Sunday morning, or more recently given out at local supermarkets, newsagents and other local points of interest.[1]
The paper was published by LSN Media Ltd which was previously owned by Frank Branston. Branston, who founded the newspaper in 1977,[2] went on to become the first directly elected mayor of the borough of Bedford in 2002. Branston sold his share of LSN to Iliffe News and Media in 2005.[3]
In 2012, Local World acquired Iliffe News & Media from Yattendon Group,[4] and in turn this was acquired by Trinity Mirror. The newspaper's last edition was on 1 October 2017,[5] (one of 40 local newspapers to close that year[6]) and was replaced by a midweek newspaper with less emphasis on news and more on leisure activities called Bedfordshire Midweek, however this was closed after eight months of publication.[7]
Style
editThe style of journalism was generally more sensationalist than a typical local paper. Its front page stories were often picked up by the national press over the years, including a story about dead bodies being stored in a chapel at Bedford Hospital rather than a morgue in 2001.[8] A story about a teenager being banned for life from the United States after insulting Barack Obama received worldwide attention in 2010.[9][10][11][12]
Online media
editBedfordshire on Sunday published most of its news online for free, but Trinity Mirror shut the sites down shortly after the closure of the print edition.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "LSN Media Ltd - Publications". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- ^ Obituary of Bob Elford covering the founding of the newspaper
- ^ Luton Today - Sunday newspaper group is sold off
- ^ Daily Mail sells regional newspapers to Local World, BBC News, 21 November 2012
- ^ "Launch of Bedfordshire Midweek paper will bring you news and events from heart of the community". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 1 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Kakar, Arun (27 March 2018). "Some 40 UK local newspapers closed in 2017 with net loss of 45 jobs, new research shows". Press Gazette. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Weekly which replaced regional Sunday to close after eight months". HoldtheFrontPage. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
- ^ Body of evidence at Bedford hospital, The Guardian, 7 February 2001
- ^ "He Barracked Obama - and we told you first". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 24 September 2010.
- ^ Linford, Paul. "Weekly's Obama scoop makes headlines worldwide". Hold The Front Page. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Teen banned from US for insulting Obama". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Derby Telegraph crash-choice mum story makes Daily Mail front page". Press Gazette. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2020.