Speculation mounts over sale of company that owns the E&E

Speculation is continuing to grow over the possible sale of the company that owns Exeter's Express & Echo newspaper.

The E&E is owned by the Daily Mail group and reports suggest it is discussing the sale in a deal that would see 84 titles, including the Echo, sold to a new firm that is backed by private equity. 

The new venture, called Local World, would also buy family-owned regional newspaper and property group, Yattendon, which has 30 titles.

Diminishing sales and a difficult trading environment have led to Daily Mail and General Trust looking to offload its regional arm, Northcliffe Media.

The Echo was one of a number of titles in the group that went weekly 12 months ago as part of a radical review.

However, sales figures have continued to decline during that period as readers migrate to alternative news sources.

Also see: http://www.theexeterdaily.co.uk/news/local-news/express-echo-owners-talk...