-----Original Message-----

From: L Barnett [mailto:[FOI #25923 email]]

Sent: 03 January 2010 17:30

To: Freedom of Information

Subject: Freedom of Information request - Council newspaper

Dear Gosport Borough Council,

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, I wish to receive the following information from your authority:

1. The name, frequency and distribution/circulation of your council newspaper (by council newspaper I mean the most frequently published newspaper or magazine intended for mass distribution covering more than one topic)

Coastline is now an 8 page A4 size magazine produced quarterly and distributed to 36,000 Gosport homes

2. How much it cost to produce and distribute said newspaper in the last full financial year, and how much was budgeted from council resources in the financial year 2009/2010

This one is difficult because everything regarding the magazine has recently changed. It used to be Tabloid and printed externally and now it is A4 and printed in house so paper costs printing costs even delivery costs, because of a reduced weight, have come down.

That said the cost to produce and distribute said newspaper in the financial year 2008/9 £27,803

Budget from council resources in the financial year 2009/10 £20,260

3. How much of that cost is offset by advertising

Advertising depends from issue to issue but on average is around £1,500 per edition received

The Advertising Income in the financial year 2008/9 £8,600

4. How much of that advertising, if any, comes from external sources (ie not from your authority's budgets)?

All of it, as all adverts are from external customers

5. Which other public sector partners pay to run advertising in your newspaper, eg PCTs?

We have had supplements paid for by PCT and the Police re Community Safety but this is not a regular thing

6. Whether recruitment advertising forms part of the advertising in your newspaper?

No job advertising is carried

7. A copy of an editorial policy guide, if one exists, which governs the material which is placed in the newspaper, and how it is decided

No policy in place only that we include Council issues of interest or importance to the public and also if space allows some articles for local groups and organisations such as What's on - pantomimes, concerts, coffee morning etc, things like Alzheimer's groups meetings, Requests for School Governors, info on CAB help available etc

8. A copy of an advertising policy guide, if one exists, which governs what sort of advertising is suitable.

None but we do support local businesses as opposed to those outside of the area and obviously nothing is accepted which is likely to be controversial or bring the Council into disrepute. No adverts are from major companies all are small local businesses.

9. The number of people employed to put your newspaper/newsletter together, including total cost and staff organisation chart

I write and edit the magazine and sell advertising space

Our in-house Graphics and Print room print and finish it = x 3 people so a total 4 people.

2008/9 Actual Internal costs £15,200, Budget 2009/10 £16,200

The distribution is done externally by the Post Office Royal Mail Door to Door Service

Some parts of this request may be easier to answer than others, and should this prove to be the case I would ask that you release available data as soon as possible rather than hold up the entire request.

I would prefer to receive this information electronically. If the decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used.

If you need any clarification then please contact me at the email. Under your section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance I would expect you to contact me if you find this request unmanageable in any way.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully,

L Barnett