The 160-year-old Cumberland & Westmorland Herald newspaper has been placed into administration by its directors, leading to the redundancies of six staff.
Joint administrator Howard Smith, an associate partner at KPMG, said “an increasing deficit in the company’s defined benefits pension scheme” and “long-standing pressures facing the regional print media industry” had led to the decision to place the independent weekly broadsheet into administration.
The Herald was established in 1860 and covers a large area of East Cumbria, including the towns of Penrith, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, Keswick & Alston.
It employs 26 members of staff from its base in Penrith.
Smith said: “The Herald has been a cornerstone of the community in East Cumbria for over a hundred years. Unfortunately, however, an increasing deficit in the company’s defined benefits pension scheme, in addition to the long-standing pressures facing the regional print media industry were behind the directors’ difficult decision to place the company into administration.
“Our intention is to continue to trade the business for a short period while we explore options for a possible sale. During this time, we anticipate that two editions of the newspaper will be published under the direction of the editor.”
The paper appointed Emily Atherton as its first female editor last May after Colin Maughan stepped down after almost 25 years at the helm.
