Council newspaper

L Barnett made this Freedom of Information request to Middlesbrough Council

The request was successful.

From: L Barnett

3 January 2010

Dear Middlesbrough 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)

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

3. How much of that cost is offset by advertising

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Middlesbrough Council

4 January 2010

Dear Sir/Madam

REF NO: 1610.1.

Thank you for your recent enquiry, received on 3 January 2009. I can
confirm that your enquiry is receiving attention and a response will be
provided within 20 working days following receipt of your enquiry as
allowed under the Freedom of Information Act legislation.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will
let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

Please do not hesitate to contact me direct on (01642) 729696 or email
foi@middlesbrough. gov.uk should you require any further advice or
assistance with this or any other matter.

Yours sincerely

Steph Robson
Freedom Of Information Officer

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Middlesbrough Council

28 January 2010

Dear Sir/Madam

REF NO:1610.1
I am writing to confirm that Middlesbrough Council has now completed its
search for the information you requested on 3 January 2010.

In your request you asked for the following information:

Q1. 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)

Response: Middlesbrough News; published four times per year; for the most
recent edition (November 2009) approx 60,000 were distributed to
households across Middlesbrough.

Q2. 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

Response: Middlesbrough News is funded by Mouchel, the council's private
sector partner. The cost to produce and distribute Middlesbrough News in
the financial year 2008/09 was approx. *67,700.

Q3. How much of that cost is offset by advertising

Response: Approx. *55,650.

Q4. How much of that advertising, if any, comes from external sources (ie
not from your authority's budgets)?

Response: The amount of gross advertising revenue during 2008/09 to be
derived from external (non-council) sources was approx. *25,600.

Q5. Which other public sector partners pay to run advertising in your
newspaper, eg PCTs?

Response: During the last year advertisers included the local PCT,
Cleveland Police Authority, Cleveland Fire Brigade and Teesside
University.

Q6. Whether recruitment advertising forms part of the advertising in your
newspaper?

Response: Recruitment advertising does not form part of the advertising in
the newspaper.

Q7. 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

Response: There is no editorial policy guide. The newspaper exists to
inform council tax payers of new council services, changes to council
services, new council policies, council events and achievements, as well
as developments in the town in which the council has been involved.
Stories are also sourced from the various partnerships to which the
council belongs, or its partner organisations.

Q8. A copy of an advertising policy guide, if one exists, which governs
what sort of advertising is suitable.

Response: There is no advertising policy guide.

Q9. The number of people employed to put your newspaper/newsletter
together, including total cost and staff organisation chart

Response: Around 25% of one full-time officer's time is engaged on putting
the newspaper together. This officer is an employee of the council's
private sector partner, Mouchel.

If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact me direct on (01642) 729696 or email [Middlesbrough Council request email]
Please remember to quote the reference number shown above in any future
communications.

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled you may ask
for an internal review. You should write to:-

Chris Davies,
Corporate Complaints Manager,
PO Box 99A,
Town Hall,
Middlesbrough,
TS1 2QQ.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an
independent review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: -
Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely

Steph Robson
Freedom of Information Officer

Members Office
P.O. Box 99A
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 2QQ

Tel. 01642 729696

FAX. 01642 729882
Email: [Middlesbrough Council request email]

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