THE managing director of Isle of Man Newspapers says plans to move the company's printing operations to the UK are the "best thing" for the business in the long run.
Helen Byrne said printing the Island's newspapers in the UK will produce "positive and noticeable changes" to the quality of the titles.
Yesterday Isle of Man Newspapers revealed plans are in place to shut down the printing press in Peel Road in Douglas and move it to Dinnington in Sheffield.
As a result seven full time members of staff and a number of part time staff would be made redundant.
Mrs Byrne said: "We've spent a long time considering all our options and have decided that this will be the best thing for our business in the long run.
"It will produce very positive and noticeable changes to the quality of our titles. Readers and advertisers will really see the difference."
Isle of Man Newspapers say its printing press, which is 19 years old, is not suitable for producing the Island's three newspapers as it can only produce 48 tabloid pages in one go which means the newspapers have to be printed in sections and put together by hand.
It says it has examined the cost of buying a new press but deemed it too expensive as it would only by used three times a week.
The printing press in Sheffield is one of the biggest printing plants in Europe and is capable of printing 192 pages in full colour.
Mrs Byrne continued: "Ideally printing would remain in the Isle of Man but the benefits for the products of moving to a modern press plant greatly outweigh leaving things as they are."
Isle of Man Newspapers has said it will "consult extensively" before implementing the proposal.
If it does go ahead all of the newspapers' content would continue to be produced by staff in the Isle of Man before being sent electronically to Sheffield.
The newspapers would then be shipped back to the Island with the UK national press.
The proposed changes would affect the timings of the newspapers - The Examiner would be on sale on Monday morning and the Manx Independent on Thursday morning. The Courier would remain unchanged.
If the proposal goes ahead the Island's newspapers would be printed in Dinnington in Sheffield from March.
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