Canada
Hollinger Inc.'s $3.5-billion deal with broadcaster CanWest Global Communications Corp. in July 2000 was just the latest in a string of media deals that has dramatically altered the face of the Canadian newspaper industry.

In 1998, printing giant Quebecor Inc. won a bidding war for the Sun Media chain, giving it access to a stable of daily papers, including the Toronto Sun tabloid. The same year, Hollinger launched the National Post, a move which placed Toronto at the heart of the most fiercely contested newspaper war in North America. Since then, however, a spate of media mergers in the U.S. has ushered in a new era of convergence, leading publishers to rethink their traditional business models or hunt for high-tech partners.

Last spring, two of the country's foremost publishers, Hollinger and Thomson Corp announced they were putting the majority of their Canadian newspaper holdings up for sale. Hollinger, which had some 350 titles on the block, sold 13 major market dailies to CanWest at the end of July, along with a 50% share in its flagship paper, the National Post.

Thomson, meanwhile, has already divested its U.S. titles and now retains only two Canadian titles, apart from its 30% interest in The Globe and Mail, now 70% owned by telecommunications giant BCE (Bell). BCE has created a C$4 billion media conglomerate including The Globe and Mail, CTV (Canada's largest private broadcaster) and two leading Internet players: Globe Interactive and the Sympatico web portal. CanWest and BCE are now competing against each other in print, TV and Internet formats to establish whose multi-media convergence strategy works best.

Malta
To a large extent the media landscape has remained unchanged since 1998 with Malta carrying its strong tradition in newspaper publication into the 21st century. The Island has four daily newspapers two written in Maltese, two in English and a number of weekly publications. The oldest of these newspapers, The Times, boasts an uninterrupted run since its inception in 1935.

The past year has seen a rush towards the development of digital versions of local newspapers. This drive is again lead by The Times, which was the first to launch its daily news service www.timesofmalta.com together with breaking news services available on mobile and internet based carriers.

United Kingdom
Huge changes in the ownership and organisational shape of the British newspaper industry have taken place in recent years. Yet the press is as diverse as ever and the British remain the most avid readers of newspapers in the Commmonwealth.

Several British newspapers are among the oldest in the world. The Times was founded in 1785 and the Sunday Observer in 1791 No country has so many national daily and Sunday newspapers. Only Japan can compete with circulation figures like that of the The Sun, which in June 2000 stood at 3,497,563, or the Mail on Sunday at 2,251,258. Britain's top broadsheet, The Daily Telegraph sells 1,035,615. The Sunday Times stands at 1,353,452.

Of the ten national dailies, only one, The Daily Mail, remains in traditional family ownership, Lord Rothermere's Associated Newspapers. The Guardian's ownership is unique. It is part of the Guardian Media Group, whose shares are all held by the Scott Trust.

The regional press is equally diverse, but a spate of takeovers in recent years has greatly concentrated ownership. Twenty publishers now account for 84 per cent of all regional press titles. Most national publishers also own regional weeklies. Mirror Trinity accounts for 176 titles with a total circulation of 15,125,864. Newsquest has 204 (10,187,211).

South Atlantic
British Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic include British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gough, Nightingale, and Tristan da Cunha Islands, St. Helena and Ascension Island. SARTMA is the media representative for most newspapers produced in these territories.

These newspapers include The Antarctic Sentinel in British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Online only), Teaberry Express and Financial Information and News in the Falkland Islands, Tristan Times in Tristan da Cunha, Gough and Nightingale Islands, St. Helena Government News on St. Helena Island and The Islander Newspaper on Ascension Island. SAFIN Magazine covers the financial news for the South Atlantic Remote Territories. In the SARTMA group, only the St. Helena Herald is owned by Government but the paper has been given a mandate to wean itself off subsidy.

Other newspapers in the South Atlantic British Overseas Territories that are not in the SARTMA Group are: The Independent, FIG Tree and Penguin News. Penguin News no longer receives a Government grant. The FIG Tree is the Falkland Islands Government newspaper. A new newspaper, the Independent, has been created on St. Helena. The Independent carries mostly editorial pieces and news from other sources, mostly un-credited. It is supported by an as yet undisclosed source but also earns revenue from advertising.

Radio and television:

There are no radio or TV stations in the British Antarctic Territories or South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. They do, however, receive TV and/or radio signals on a sporadic basis. In the Falkland Islands there are two TV Stations. One is British Forces Broadcasting Station (BFBS) that covers both TV and Radio for the British Forces and the civilian population. The other is KTV that is a pay for view station and Radio Nova, which is free to listeners. The Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station, FIBS, is a Government radio station that provides service free to listeners.

At this writing the Falkland Islands Government are trying to make the civilian population pay a license fee to watch BFBS. This is a controversial issue because most of the households in Stanley watch KTV. FIG is proposing to invoice all households on the same bill that they use to pay for water and trash removal. This leaves no choice for people who are on the lower income scale. They can only afford one TV service and that one will be BFBS.

On Tristan da Cunha the Government pays to receive BFBS Television. St. Helena receives KTV - not the same one as in the Falklands - which is a pay for view television service operated by Cable & Wireless South Atlantic LTD and Radio St. Helena, A Government radio station which is free to listeners. There is an independent radio station on St. Helena called SAINT-FM. Like that of KTV, the name has been copied but there is no legal representation to get these people to change the name. The same as yet unknown source is funding this radio station that puts out news occasionally gleaned from others without giving them credit.

SAINT-FM has sent radio equipment to Tristan da Cunha, the Falklands and Ascension Island and has people sending them news of a more personal nature. Their target audience is St. Helenians living and working in the South Atlantic. Finally, on Ascension Island, the US Base has Cable TV with a variety of channels and that's free to view on base only. There is BFBS Television and Radio and BBC World as well. However, BBC News 24 and SKYE News are also sent to civilians over the BFBS satellite feed. On Ascension Volcano Radio keeps people informed.

Falkland Islands News Network

The Falkland Islands News Network (FINN) has as its members, Teaberry Express, Financial Information and News and FIBS News. Associate members are Antarctic Sentinel, SAFIN Magazine and the Islander Newspaper. Associate members contribute news relevant to the Falklands