News

Western Telegraph threatens Herald over advertising standards

Published

10 years ago

August 31, 2014

Herald boss: Thomas Sinclair at WHSmith in Cardigan

THE NEWLY appointed publisher of The Western Telegraph has challenged its new rival newspaper, The Pembrokeshire Herald, to provide evidence on print figures or face being reported to the authorities.

In a letter to Herald acting editor Thomas Sinclair, The Telegraph’s confident new boss, Dean Merrick, described how he believed that claims The Herald has been making over the number of copies being printed per week were ‘untrue’.

In the letter Mr. Merrick said: “It has come to my attention on your marketing pack that is accessible on your website that you claim that you print 20,000 copies weekly of The Pembrokeshire Herald. We believe your claim to be false.”

He added: “I hereby provide you with seven days notice from August 29 to respond to confirm your print figures. If you fail to respond within the 7 day period my complaint will be passed onto the Advertising Standards Authority who will investigate the matter further.”

County Show 2014: 17000 readers

Thomas Sinclair hit back saying: “Our old pre-launch media pack claims a print run of 20k, but we have a new revised version. The number of copies printed each week, however, is immaterial for newspaper advertisers. It goes without saying that what businesses need to know is how many readers a publication has – or the circulation.”

Mr Sinclair said: “Something has clearly rattled The Western Telegraph. The latest JICREG data, updated on April 1, 2014 shows that the WT’s circulation is at an all-time low of 15,753 copies.”

The Herald boss added: “We clearly and repeatedly explain to our customers that we have 17,000 weekly readers. This has been printed on the front page of The Herald several times. It is in all our marketing material. It is what our sales staff consistently tell customers. It was even on the huge banners on top of our two storey stand at the County Show this year.”

Clear message: 17000 readers on banners at Milford Carnival this year.

Mr Sinclair added: “The media pack, which is being referred to, is the one which was designed before the Herald was launched. As reported on the BBC we did launch the paper with a 20,000 print run at launch, but cut this fairly soon after starting. The new and improved media pack which we have been circulating since then quotes a print run of 10,000 copies per week. We do print more than this but we have kept the number to the lowest we print. Contrary to what The Western Telegraph’s publisher has claimed, the old media pack is not accessible via the Pembrokeshire Herald homepage.”

Mr. Sinclair concluded: “Print figures aside, there is one thing which is clear. The Pembrokeshire Herald readership is on the way up, and the Western Telegraph’s is quite obviously on the way down.”

“With what the JICREG data has revealed this year, combined with what our stockists are telling us, I would not be surprised if we have eclipsed the Western Telegraph in reader numbers already.”

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13 Comments

s james

August 31, 2014 at 7:06 pm

I’d rather read the herald than the telegraph. The price had gone up on it but news coverage had gone down. It’s all adverts and once you remove them your left with hardly any pages… go herald.
Gez George

August 31, 2014 at 7:32 pm

I wont be buying the Telegraph again. Seems to be run by vindictive, envious petty minded bigots. The Pembrokeshire Herald is the only newspaper worth reading. Perhaps if the Telegraph concentrated more on putting readable information in their paper and concentrated less on school playground bully antics they may find people buying their paper. Heres on less customer anyway !!
Peter Warrennder

August 31, 2014 at 8:08 pm

The Herald is a great local paper, the Western Telegraph is American owned rubbish. I never buy the WT anymore, it has poor news coverage and is not value for money. Keep up the good work the Herald and your readership will grow and grow.
Claire

August 31, 2014 at 9:45 pm

The Western Telegraph have had a massive presence in the county for as long as I remember. Sadly though it has not done its best to cover the issues that are relevant to the people of Pembrokeshire. The Mercury is finally doing a good job of showing what is actually happening in our county both in and outside the county hall offices. It is somewhat shaken by competition it seems. Maybe if they focussed on writing the news instead of threatening letters, people would read it again!
Chris

August 31, 2014 at 10:51 pm

When the Mercury under the Stoddart family ownership started to grow and their print runs were increasing regularly, The Western Telegraphs owners bought it out!! They felt extremely threatened. If the Heralds print run keep increasing at this rate – Mr Sinclair The Western Telegraph may be making you a big offer – you could be a millionaire. They do not like to be beaten. I have to say, the Herald is a far better read, keep it up
Welshman23

September 1, 2014 at 5:51 am

Well done Herald the new editor should concentrate on yhe news that everyone wants to read. Herald you have rattled the cages of PCC and now it\’s the PCC supported Old Telegraph.
Maud Amy

September 1, 2014 at 12:56 pm

Trouble is the WT stopped reporting anything negative about PCC and any of its councillors and this is what put people off buying it.
Maud Amy

September 1, 2014 at 12:58 pm

People doing wrong on these official bodies should be named and shamed otherwise they just carry on doing what they have always done with no consequences ‘Concerned Pembs’
wendy king

September 1, 2014 at 1:51 pm

As a small business in pembrokeshire I advertise in the herald and the telegraph, However after receiving a phone call from the sales team at the TELEGRAPH asking me to place an ad, I declined, to the response from the member of staff at the TELEGRAPH to “well you advertised with the HERALD last week! why not us! they dont even print or sell copies!” My response was that the HERALD had placed an ad for FREE for me paying off my monthly account each month, looking after a customer 🙂 TELEGRAPHs response was more fool them giving out FREE ads! I was not happy with this conversation. I am not surprised to see this pathetic bickering from the TELEGRAPH, they are tired, dated and I WILL NOT BE ADVERTISING WITH THEM AGAIN!
Burt

September 1, 2014 at 3:23 pm

What can i say the WT have been ripping off small business in pembs for years to the point i couldn’t afford to put my business out there anymore, thank god for the Herald as i9 can now advertise without breaking the bank and everyone i know has given up buying the Wt and will only get the Herald from now on!! keep up the fantastic paper!!
Tenby Skipper

September 1, 2014 at 4:37 pm

The Western Telegraph still doesn’t get it. People want some backbone in their reporting, not soft pedalled puff pieces and press releases, and now there is an alternative which offers what people want. The Herald has done more hard reporting and proper journalism in a year than the WT has in a decade. If the Herald’s sales figures haven’t already overtaken the WT, it’s surely only a matter of time.
Teifion

September 2, 2014 at 1:26 pm

The WT has behaved like the PCC in house magazine over the years – the relationship between the meedja was once described as the relationship between a dog and a lampost – sadly the WT was the lamp-post and has been partly to blame for the shenanigins at the PCC
Mister H

September 7, 2014 at 10:26 pm

A friend of mine once said, if he wanted to buy a car or a house then he would buy the WT. Sooooooo true!!!

Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

Published

4 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand. Despite these measures, the terminal remains overwhelmed by the volume of traffic.

From our position at the terminal, we have captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion. The atmosphere is one of both frustration and resilience as passengers await their departures.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

43 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”