Somerset County Gazette and Tone FM enter news partnership

Having served the county town of Taunton for more than 185 years, the County Gazette is a trusted source of local news, information and sport, with its website and newspaper being read by 83 per cent of Taunton’s population each month (source: E-Telmar Oct 2021, based on four weeks in print, four weeks online). 

Through the collaboration, the County Gazette will now supply the station’s online news at tonefm.co.uk, and through the station’s online social channels. Alongside this, there will also be a new fortnightly on-air contribution feature to keep listeners up to date with a host of specialised local news stories. 

In return, ToneFM will now also become a regular featured partner within the County Gazette, and will have a presence in the weekly printed edition of the County Gazette.

Station Director of ToneFM, Patch Jobson, is pleased to be working with the County Gazette: “One of our biggest aims has been, and always will be, to ensure we can provide the best local information and news to our listeners. With this new partnership in place, this will give us the best solution to ensure we are delivering on our promises as Taunton’s Community Radio Station to keep everyone as up to date as possible with the news in the county town.”

Tim Lethaby, the Editor of the Newsquest-owned County Gazette, also believes the partnership will strengthen both organisations.

“I am delighted that the County Gazette will be working with Tone FM,” he said. “Both organisations share the same values of putting the community at the heart of everything they do, and through our partnership with Tone FM, the County Gazette will have an even larger shop window to use to shout about all the positive stories we cover.”

The official launch date for the Partnership is Thursday June 30th, with a full on-air introduction being made on Friday July 1.