Roularta stops distributing the free weekly newspaper The Regional Newspaper. At the end of October, the last of the seventeen remaining editions will roll off the presses. The media group announced this on Thursday.
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With a circulation of about 2.5 million and almost fifty regional editions, The Regional Newspaper until a few years ago the largest magazine in Flanders. Since then, Roularta has cut the number of editions and the group also renamed the magazine for a few years This week.
Currently, the weekly free newspaper – with advertisements, classifieds and local news – has a circulation of less than 900,000 and is distributed in 17 more regions. It concerns nine editions in West Flanders, four in East Flanders, two in Antwerp and one each in Flemish Brabant and Limburg.
The media group tried to turn the tide again, but the operation did not yield the expected result. From October 27, Roularta will end the publication of the free door-to-door paper.
“The advance of wholesale distribution and e-commerce had already put heavy pressure on the local market and the corona pandemic hit the already weakened retail market amidships,” the media group explains.
‘This situation and competition from social media have led to a declining advertising market for local door-to-door papers. Despite several attempts to turn the tide, the financial condition of The Regional Newspaper no longer tenable.’
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