The AFR to stop printing in WA: Nine blames Seven’s ‘abuse of market power’
The Australian Financial Review will stop publishing print editions in Western Australia, with the Nine-owned masthead claiming the Seven-owned printers “demanded a new contract that doubled the cost of printing”.
Colourpress, the only printer of major newspapers in Western Australia, is owned by Seven West Media. There are no alternative printing operations in WA for a newspaper print run of the AFR’s scale.
AFR reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones claims that The Australian, owned by News Corp and also printed at Colourpress, was not subject to the same price hike. Buckingham-Jones says the 100% print increase “appears to be a targeted attack on the Financial Review”.
The AFR will become a digital-only offering in the WA, although physical distribution of the monthly The Australian Financial Review Magazine and quarterly Fin! Magazine will continue. The magazines will also be sold separately in newsagencies.
“This decision is specific to Western Australia and has no impact on our papers and magazines in the rest of the country,” said Tory Maguire, managing director of Nine Publishing.
“We work very constructively with the printers of our newspapers and magazines to ensure the long-term sustainability of our print products, which continue to be profitable.
“Fortunately the Financial Review is an incredibly successful digital publication, which has allowed us to make this decision in the best interests of our business.”
AFR editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury was blunt in his appraisal of Seven’s move.
“We regret the uncompetitive abuse of market power that has forced the end of printing and distributing the much-loved Financial Review paper in Australia’s powerhouse export state,” he said.
“However, the Financial Review digital readership is proportionately the biggest of any newspaper brand in Australia, and we are confident we can service all West Australians interested in our award-winning journalism.”
The AFR has been printed in WA since 1951.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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