 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | KM Group |
| Publisher | KM Group |
| Editor | Denise Eaton |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Maidstone |
| Circulation | 8,390(as of 2022) [1] |
| Website | kentonline |
The Kent Messenger is a weekly newspaper serving the mid-Kent area. It is published in three editions - Maidstone, Malling, and the Weald. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.
The Kent Messenger grew from the Maidstone Telegraph founded in the county town of Kent in 1859. [2] It changed to its current name two years later. [3] It was sold to the Boorman family in 1890 after its then owners, the Masters brothers, were jailed.
In 1942 the Kent Messenger offices were used by Canterbury newspaper the Kentish Gazette (then not owned by the Kent Messenger Group) after the Gazette's offices were destroyed by a Luftwaffe raid on Canterbury, in order to produce that week's copy of the Gazette. [4]
The Kent Messenger remains the flagship newspaper for the KM Group. Besides the main edition for Maidstone, editions are also published for Malling and the Weald. Along with the rest of the KM-owned papers, the Kent Messenger was given a design overhaul in May 2005. [5]
The current editor is Denise Eaton.
The Kent Messenger is based at the KM Group's Maidstone office. The offices also housed the paper's sister radio station KMFM Maidstone until the station moved to the Medway offices in 2008. [6]
Kent is a county in the South East England region, the closest county to continental Europe. It borders Essex across the entire estuary of the River Thames to the north; the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover to the south-east; East Sussex to the south-west; Surrey to the west and Greater London to the north-west. The county town is Maidstone.
Canterbury is a city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was until 1974 a county borough. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate.
Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river carried much of the town's trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, which is known as the Garden of England. There is evidence of settlement in the area dating back before the Stone Age. The town, part of the borough of Maidstone, had an approximate population of 100,000 in 2019. Since World War II, the town's economy has shifted from heavy industry towards light industry and services.
Rainham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, South East England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Gillingham.
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district, in Kent, southeast England, 17 miles (27 km) from Canterbury and 45 miles (72 km) from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons.
KMFM is a network of radio stations that was formed from the merger of seven Independent Local Radio stations and one digital station owned by the KM Group, broadcasting to the county of Kent in the United Kingdom. Whilst the station broadcasts as one countywide station, it is officially eight separate licenses.
West Malling is a market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of 2,590.
Teston /ˈtiːstən/ or /ˈtiːsən/ is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles (6.4 km) from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here.
Staplehurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Maidstone in Kent, England, 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Maidstone and with a population of 6,003. The village lies on the route of a Roman road, which is now incorporated into the course of the A229. The name Staplehurst comes from the Old English 'stapol' meaning a 'post, pillar' and 'hyrst', as a 'wooded hill'; therefore, 'wooded-hill at a post', a possible reference to a boundary marker at the position of All Saints' church atop the hill along the road from Maidstone to Cranbrook. The parish includes the hamlet of Hawkenbury.
The history of Maidstone and its environs goes as far back as Mesolithic times. It has seen settlement by the Romans and the Normans and played a role in pivotal moments of English history such as the Peasants' Revolt and the English Civil War. It has also hosted an Army barracks since Napoleonic times and was an important centre for Kent's brewing and papermaking industries.
KM Media Group is a multimedia company in the county of Kent, England which originated as the publisher of the Kent Messenger. The Group now produces local newspapers, radio stations, TV and websites throughout the county. Iliffe Media acquired KM Media Group in April 2017.
KMFM Maidstone is an Independent Local Radio serving the town of Maidstone and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Maidstone region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM Canterbury is an Independent Local Radio serving the City of Canterbury and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Canterbury region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM Ashford is an Independent Local Radio serving the Borough of Ashford and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Ashford region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country is an Independent Local Radio station serving the districts of Dover and Folkestone and Hythe and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the South Kent region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM Thanet is an Independent Local Radio serving the Isle of Thanet and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Thanet region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM West Kent is an Independent Local Radio serving the towns of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells plus the surrounding areas of the South East of England. It is the West Kent region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
KMFM Medway is an Independent Local Radio serving the Medway Towns and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Medway region of the KMFM radio network, containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.
The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by KM Group and published on Thursdays. Its Canterbury and Whitstable editions are the only local papers covering the area.
The Kentish Express is a weekly newspaper serving southern Kent. It is published in four editions - Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe and the Romney Marsh, and Tenterden. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.