Maidenhead Advertiser changes hands

Baylis Community Media CIC has taken over publishing of community paper the Maidenhead Advertiser and its sister titles.

The titles, which also include the Slough and Windsor Express, were previously controlled by Baylis Media Ltd on behalf of the Louis Baylis Community Trust.

The publisher will operate separately from the trust following a licence agreement intended to maintain the organisation’s principles. This will allow the trust to continue distributing grants while maintaining the ethos of the Advertiser.

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The trust was set up in 1962 by Louis Baylis with the goal of maintaining the publication’s independence. The recent developments will continue this legacy, looking to safeguard it going forward.

Since its inception, the trust has donated more than £6 million to local causes. Some of its work includes building hospices and supporting local charities.

In staffing terms, very little is changing. Baylis Community Media CIC is made up of exactly the same team as current publisher, and they have no plans to change their editorial policy. This will mean readers are unlikely to notice much change.

The move follows a long history of donations from the paper, as well as other investments, which has now given the trust the strength to operate without support from the paper’s profits.

Interestingly, when we last covered the Maidenhead Advertiser back in 2013, we noted they were the only local paper to experience an increase in readers.

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