Son sets in Gauteng, Free State

The decision to close the Gauteng and Free State editions was based on a combination of market-related factors, stated Media24 in a press release:

”The closure now allows Media24 to intensify its focus on the very successful Western and Eastern Cape editions of Son. The weekly edition of Son in the Eastern Cape is now one of the biggest publications in the region. The daily edition in the Western Cape is the largest daily in the region and leads the market with an audited average daily sale of 97135 copies for the last quarter of 2007. Readers will benefit from the renewed focus on product quality, editorial mix and closer community involvement. Advertisers will continue to benefit from the rising circulation, greater reach and excellent value that Son delivers.”

According to Media24, the staff numbers in the affected editions are small. “Media24 expresses its gratitude to the staff and management of Son Noord and Son Sentraal for their gallant contributions and intends to redeploy as many affected staff as possible in other divisions of the business,” concludes the statement.