Free title launch starts newspaper war

Newspapers may be closing - but there are launches too. The latest example is the Oswestry and Border Chronicle , which was distributed free yesterday to 15,000 homes in the towns of Oswestry and Welshpool. Copies were also on sale for 40p. It's an initiative by the Wolverhampton-based Midland News Association , publisher of the the largest-selling regional daily, the Express & Star . The new paper provides direct competition to the paid-for title, the Powys County Times , which is published by the independent group, NWN Media and sells more than 15,000 copies a week. A local news blogger is calling it a newspaper war and predicting "blood on the newsstands" Sources: HoldTheFrontPage / MyWelshpool