Caerphilly Observer is proud to announce it is launching a printed edition next month.
Originally launched in July 2009 by journalist Richard Gurner, Caerphilly Observer will be expanding into a fortnightly, full-colour, 16-page tabloid newspaper.
Richard is making the move into newsprint thanks to a European Union-funded business grant from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
He said: “When I returned to Caerphilly in 2011 to work on the site, after setting it up while I was living in Brighton, I said it had long been a dream of mine to own my own newspaper.
“That dream will be fully realised next month when we launch our first edition. Publishing a fortnightly newspaper will be hard work, but I am convinced it is the right move.
“The response to the website we’ve had from readers and businesses alike has been overwhelmingly positive, but the the question they keep asking us is when are we going into print? We decided to satisfy that demand and I’m thrilled to be fulfilling a life-long dream.”
Since its launch in 2009, Caerphilly Observer has already overtaken the website traffic of local newspaper Campaign, where Richard began his career nine years ago. The website attracts an average of 50,000 page views and 20,000 unique visitors a month.
The print edition of Caerphilly Observer will have a circulation of 10,000 copies and will be the only free newspaper to cover the whole of Caerphilly County Borough. It will be distributed in shops and newsagents for readers to pick up.
Richard added: “Caerphilly County Borough doesn’t have a newspaper dedicated exclusively to the entire area and it is this gap in the market that we will be addressing.
“The goal for Caerphilly Observer is to create a sustainable, locally-owned media that our readers can be proud of.
“Despite huge traffic numbers that we can be proud of, there are still large parts of our community unfamiliar with Caerphilly Observer. A print edition will expand our audience and grow our brand to reach people not already online.”
If you are interested in advertising with Caerphilly Observer please contact Jan Withers on
07857 528627 or email jan@caerphilly.observer
Caerphilly Observer will receive funding to help produce its first four editions from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Caerffili Cwm a Mynydd Rural Development Programme Partnership. The grant is part funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.
This is really good news for Caerphilly county borough. With the big UK media groups cutting back on staff which has an impact on the product, it's great that we will have a truely local newspaper, run by a local lad.
Couldn't be happier not only are we to get a free newspaper worth reading but i know how hard Richard works to make his venture a success, all i can say is well done and i look forward immensely to reading the first edition of the caerphilly observer. So proud! X
Just a note to say well done from us up here in Wrexham!
Brilliant stuff Richard!
Good luck with the new paper, the on-line edition has been very welcome. The local news has never been available so quickly and 'The Observer' is my main source of local news now – so refreshing to have a publication that does not centre on Cardiff and Newport.
Congratulations Richard!
Well done.This is fantastic news,Caerphilly needs a good newspaper and the Caerphilly Observer is always a great read,I wish you continued success .
When will it be launched?
I hope my local Petrol station on Nantgawr Road Caerphilly will be stocking it.
Congratulations Richard! Wish you the best of luck with the venture. Honest, unbiased reporting is the lifeblood of our democracy.
Great news Richard look forward to seeing the first edition….
Brilliant news. I think the Observer offers the best local news out there. Best of luck.
Congratulations Richard! Thats great news
Excellent news. An impartial view of Caerphilly instead of the council propaganda publication.
Its been years since we have had a quality free newspaper. As John above comments the council rag has become the closest thing to a substitute. So I think a print edition of C.O. would be most welcome by many people. I hope it will be a great success.
Good luck with the venture, Richard! I hope that the existence of a real newspaper for Caerphilly will lead to its population getting behind and re asserting its fallen rugby club, and now women's football club
Well done EB Gurner and team best of luck with the paper and keep up the good work.