CN Group
Encyclopedia
The CN Group Limited is an independent local media business based in Carlisle which operates in three different media fields.
The company was formerly known as the Cumbrian Newspapers Group Ltd but changed its name to reflect the fact that is no longer primarily a newspaper publisher. One of its principal subsidiaries is still known as Cumbrian Newspapers Ltd though.
The company can trace its origins to the founding of the Carlisle Patriot
newspaper in 1815 which eventually became the Cumberland News.
The company formerly owned the Touch Radio Network stations in the Midlands outright until selling them to Quidem
in June 2009. The exception to this was the Banbury arm of Touch, which was sold separately to a private consortium and rebranded as Banbury Sound in 2009. They also had a shareholding in Carlisle-based CFM Radio
, holding a further stake in neighbouring Border Television
.
It also previously owned Mid FM in Northern Ireland, relaunched as Six FM
by its new owners as well as Oak 107 FM
in Loughborough, which was purchased by the Lincs FM Group
in 2007 and was subsequently merged with an existing license of the new owners in nearby Hinckley.
, Northumberland
, Dumfries and Galloway
and the Scottish Borders
.
The company was formerly known as the Cumbrian Newspapers Group Ltd but changed its name to reflect the fact that is no longer primarily a newspaper publisher. One of its principal subsidiaries is still known as Cumbrian Newspapers Ltd though.
The company can trace its origins to the founding of the Carlisle Patriot
newspaper in 1815 which eventually became the Cumberland News.
Radio
The CN Group owns three radio stations:- The BayThe Bay (radio station)The Bay is a British radio station owned by the CN Group broadcasting from the city of Lancaster to the region of North Lancashire and the South Lakes, in North West England. It derives its name from the sand banks of Morecambe Bay, above which the main 96.9 MHz transmitter is located...
- Belfast CityBeatBelfast CityBeatBelfast CityBeat is a two-time Arqiva 'Station Of The Year' and multi-Sony Award winning Northern Irish radio station. It broadcasts to Greater Belfast on 96.7 MHz FM and on DAB Digital Radio across all of Northern Ireland. From 5 April 2007, Citybeat became available on 102.5FM for North Belfast,...
- Lakeland RadioLakeland RadioLakeland Radio is a United Kingdom radio station owned by the CN Group.-Transmission:The station broadcasts from Plumgarths Lakeland Food Park at the north end roundabout of the Kendal A591 bypass, on Crook Road, in South Lakeland, Cumbria. Signals come from the Kendal transmitter next to the A684...
The company formerly owned the Touch Radio Network stations in the Midlands outright until selling them to Quidem
Quidem
Quidem is a UK based media company which operates radio stations.Quidem is a new company established by Steve Orchard and Wendy Pallot, former Group Operations Director and former Group Finance Director respectively of GCap Media, to work in the local radio sector. Mr Orchard is the chief executive...
in June 2009. The exception to this was the Banbury arm of Touch, which was sold separately to a private consortium and rebranded as Banbury Sound in 2009. They also had a shareholding in Carlisle-based CFM Radio
CFM Radio
CFM Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle, Penrith and West Cumbria. Its musical output is popular hits of all genres, with mostly today's hits being featured...
, holding a further stake in neighbouring Border Television
Border Television
Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
.
It also previously owned Mid FM in Northern Ireland, relaunched as Six FM
Six FM
Six FM is a radio station based in Cookstown, County Tyrone. It broadcasts on 106 & 107.2 FM to the Mid Ulster region of Northern Ireland plus other areas, or more specifically East Tyrone, South Londonderry and North Armagh. The station broadcasts a mix of news, sport, music and community...
by its new owners as well as Oak 107 FM
Oak 107 FM
Oak 107 FM was an Independent Local Radio station owned by the CN Group and based on Prince William Road in Loughborough, Leicestershire in the UK.-History:...
in Loughborough, which was purchased by the Lincs FM Group
Lincs FM Group
The Lincs FM Group based in Lincolnshire, in the UK is the parent company of several Independent Local Radio stations.-History:The Lincs FM group started with just Lincs FM in Lincolnshire, UK but has won and acquired licences to operate other local radio stations across the UK's Midlands and...
in 2007 and was subsequently merged with an existing license of the new owners in nearby Hinckley.
Publishing
CN Group publishes daily and weekly newspapers and magazines for CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
and the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
.
Newspapers
- News and StarNews and StarThe News and Star is a local tabloid newspaper in Cumbria. Today it belongs to the CN Group Ltd who produce several regional newspapers in the north west of England....
- daily (except Fridays and Sundays) evening paper circulated in West and East Cumbria. - North-West Evening MailNorth-West Evening MailThe North-West Evening Mail, known locally as the Evening Mail, is a daily, local newspaper in the United Kingdom, printed every evening. It is based in Barrow-in-Furness....
- daily evening paper circulated in FurnessFurnessFurness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
and other parts of south Cumbria. - The Cumberland News - Weekly (Fridays) covering East Cumbria. Separate CityCity of CarlisleThe City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
, County and Late Final editions - Cumbrian Gazette - weekly freesheet. Separate editions for East and West Cumbria
- Whitehaven News - weekly (Thursdays)
- Times & Star - weekly (Fridays) separate WorkingtonWorkingtonWorkington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
, MaryportMaryportMaryport is a town and civil parish within the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England, in the historic county of Cumberland. It is located on the A596 road north of Workington, and is the southernmost town on the Solway Firth. Maryport railway station is on the Cumbrian Coast Line. The town is in...
and CockermouthCockermouth-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
editions - Hexham Courant - weekly
- Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser - weekly (Thursdays)
- Advertiser - weekly freesheet covering South Cumbria
Magazines
- Cumbrian Life - monthly
- Carlisle Living - monthly
- Dumfries & Galloway Life - monthly (covering Dumfries & Galloway and Scottish Borders); formerly DGB Life, the magazine now has the subtitle 'and the Scottish Borders' to show the extent of its coverage
- Yesterday - Cumbria and the Lake District - monthly
- Business Gazette - monthly