We've been around a bit!
The Group's history began with the first issue of the Carlisle Patriot on 3rd June 1815. The Patriot merged with the East Cumberland News in 1910 to become the Cumberland News.
Robert Perring was the first editor and Benjamin Scott, founder of Hudson Scott and Son (subsequently a branch of Metal Box) originally published the paper. In 1865, the paper was sold to about 60 local people, who formed the Carlisle Conservative Newspaper Co. Ltd. Although the name has subsequently been changed, it is the same company today, with descendants of many of the original backers still shareholders.
In common with most local papers, our newspapers were originally politically orientated. However, we are now independent and do not support any political party.
In 1867, John Burgess joined the staff and a year later became Editor.
The Chief Executive, Robin Burgess, is the fourth generation to be associated with the company and its newspapers. His family are the major shareholder.
After the Second World War, the company, with the full consent of the owners, expanded to acquire the Penrith Observer (1949); the Cumberland Star Ltd., Workington (1951); Brash Bros. Ltd., Cockermouth (1962); The Whitehaven News Ltd. (1962) and J. Catherall and Co. (Printers) Ltd., Hexham (1977).
The company also acquired the free distribution newspapers, the Cumbrian Gazette (1975), Carlisle Courier (1980).
In December 1989 the Group bought the titles of the North West Evening Mail and the Post series of pickup newspapers. This was followed in March 1990 by the acquisition of the West Cumberland Advertiser Ltd. publishers of The Advertiser. More recently the Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser, based in Langholm, was acquired in 2000.
1998 saw our internal market research department move from providing an in-house service to winning external market research contracts. It is now an independent market research business in its own right.
In June 1999 the Group expanded its interests into radio when it purchased Bay Radio, broadcasting to the Morecambe Bay area, and City Beat, broadcasting to greater Belfast.
Since 2000 we've developed our online services from basic information websites to the commercial websites we have today. Text-based services have been developed and we are currently exploring the use of video and internet TV.
In 2003 we created the trading name Cumbrian Newsprint to encompass the sale of surplus capacity on our printing presses. We produce newspapers and directories, prospectuses, guides and specialist publications in formats ranging from broadsheets, tabloids, magloid, quarterfold and lots more. We print CN Group titles and also have a number of contract print customers from the north of Scotland to the south coast of England as well as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.