Kent Messenger
Encyclopedia
This article is about the weekly paper for the Maidstone region. For the Kent Messenger Group, see KM Group
.
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.
of Kent in 1859. It changed to its current name two years later. 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 the 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.
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.
The current editor is Denise Eaton.
until the station moved to the Medway offices in 2008.
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
.
The Kent Messenger is a weekly newspaper serving the mid-Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
area. It is published in three editions - Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
, and the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
. It is owned by the KM Group
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
and is published on Thursdays.
History
The Kent Messenger grew from the Maidstone Telegraph founded in the county townCounty town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Kent in 1859. It changed to its current name two years later. 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 the Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
newspaper the Kentish Gazette
Kentish Gazette
The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:The newspaper claims to be the second oldest surviving newspaper in the United Kingdom....
(then not owned by the Kent Messenger Group) after the Gazette's offices were destroyed by a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
raid on Canterbury, in order to produce that week's copy of the Gazette.
The Kent Messenger remains the flagship newspaper for the KM Group
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
. 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.
The current editor is Denise Eaton.
Offices
The Kent Messenger is based at the KM Group's Maidstone office. The offices also housed the paper's sister radio station KMFM MaidstoneKMFM Maidstone
KMFM Maidstone is an Independent Local Radio serving the town of Maidstone and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is part of the KMFM group of radio stations in the county, which are part of the KM Group.-History:...
until the station moved to the Medway offices in 2008.