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ACM becomes exclusive media partner for Australian of the Year Awards

Australian Community Media (ACM) has signed on as the exclusive media partner for the Australian of the Year Awards, joining category sponsors including Australia Post and Woolworths.

ACM was previously also a media sponsor while a division of Fairfax and then Nine, before Antony Catalano bought the suite of regional titles for around $115m in April last year.

The ABC will remain the broadcast partner of the National Australia Day Council (NADC), which runs the awards.

“We’re delighted to recommit to our strong relationship with Australian Community Media,” NADC chief executive Karlie Brand said.

“As our media partner, ACM provides unparalleled regional print and online coverage of the Australian of the Year Awards. We look forward to working with ACM to underline how, when it comes to being Australian, we’re all part of the story.”

As part of the partnership, digital subscribers to ACM’s 14 daily mastheads have been given an exclusive look this week at work from 2020 Australian of the Year, eye surgeon Dr James Muecke. Non-daily titles were suspended last month in response to COVID-19’s impact on advertising revenue, including property listings in newspapers, resulting in employees being stood down until the end of June.

“We’re very proud of our partnership with the Australian of the Year Awards, which recognise people who are doing outstanding work to make Australia better,” ACM chief marketing officer Paul Tyrrell said.

“Given ACM’s nation-wide reach with print and digital publications in every state and territory and the deep community ties of our trusted mastheads, we will be encouraging our audiences to nominate someone they believe is a role model for all of Australia.”

The suspension of ACM’s non-daily titles has compounded the effect of multiple regional newsrooms shuttering, leaving many regions without a local paper. More than 150 newsrooms have closed since January last year, including Buzzfeed News’ local editorial team, and 10 Daily, both of which close today.

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