A rewarding news publishing opportunity awaits.

After nine years under the stewardship of Lee O’Connor, the Coonamble Times & Western Plains App are on the market.

The Coonamble Times has published continuously for 140 years and is a proven business with solid earnings and a loyal customer base, while the four-year-old Western Plains App has been embraced by regional audiences and is poised to reap rewards for the new owner.

Databases, digital assets and marketing collateral are included in the sale.

Additional on-site revenue streams, grants and contracts are in place.

The team has built the reach and reputation of both publications as trusted, impactful news sources with a highly engaged audience.

Publishing verified local and regional news in print and online, both publications have a strong reputation with readers and advertisers around inland NSW.

The business is currently operated from its mainstreet headquarters at 51 Castlereagh Street, Coonamble..

• lease in place with affordable rental
• spacious and comfortable premises in a stylish art deco interior
• modern office fittings, computer hardware and other technology included in the sale.

Current staffing structure:

• Managing Editor
• 1.6 FTE Admin/Sales and Design/Production
• 2x full-time journalists (currently 1 graduate cadet, 1 Year 1 journalist) on site rotating between newspaper and app
• 4x part-time/casual contracted contributors working remotely
• occasional interns
• no major outstanding employee entitlements

Two publications share staffing and other resources. Can be sold as separate enterprises as required.

THE COONAMBLE TIMES

The Coonamble Times continues to publish weekly, producing 48 full-colour editions each year in both print and digital format.

Our custom-built and easy-to-maintain website is e-commerce enabled with sales of digital editions, postal subscriptions, event photographs available to the public.

The highly engaged audience extends to our social media which helps lead new readers and advertisers to our publications.

THE WESTERN PLAINS APP

The Western Plains App, founded in June 2021, is licensed across 11 local government areas and supports daily publishing of two to four news stories, attracting more than 41,000 monthly sessions and recording 20 per cent year on year growth in page views.

Combined, the Coonamble Times and Western Plains App form a future-ready newsroom model: trusted locally, capable digitally, and underpinned by a sustainable operating structure.

There are many more stories to tell.

Help strengthen country communities.

Benefit from a solid foundation and make your mark.

To find out more, call or email Lee O’Connor.