In a strategic move to enhance its marketing of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Tamworth Regional Council has reached an agreement with Fairfax Media’s Australian Community Media (ACM) division to buy a number of festival-related publications, websites, events and trademarks.
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Councillors voted unanimously in confidential session on March 14 in favor of the purchase of ACM assets such as the Tamworth Country Music Festival Official Guide (the annual magazine, website and app), the monthly Country Music Capital News magazine, Toyota Starmaker, Coca-Cola Country, Festival FM Radio and their associated URLs and Facebook pages.
The transfer is expected to be completed by July.
Tamworth Regional Council general manager Paul Bennett said the publications, websites, events and trademarks were integral to the success of the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the promotion of Tamworth as Country Music Capital.
“By bringing these into council’s events and country music unit we can continue to build on their significance,” Mr Bennett said.
“These are important aspects of Tamworth’s world-acclaimed festival and the fact they are now community owned means the community will continue to benefit from the many elements which combine to make Tamworth the epicentre of country music.”
The council and ACM, publisher of The Northern Daily Leader, said they looked forward to working together to inform the community and develop the Tamworth Country Music Festival as it nears its 50th anniversary.
ACM will continue to assist the council with the printing of the Official Guide and Country Capital News, which will be used to promote the Tamworth Country Music brand.
ACM Director John Angilley said he was proud of the role ACM and its staff had played in helping to make the annual festival such a successful tourist drawcard for the New England region.
“We believe the council, on behalf of the Tamworth community, is the most appropriate custodian of these assets into the future,” he said.
The change was not expected to have any effect on how The Northern Daily Leader covered the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“The Northern Daily Leader will continue to deliver quality coverage of the festival online and in print,” Mr Angilley said.
