Iliffe Media Ltd.

What Iliffe Media Ltd. does

Iliffe Media Ltd. is the operating subsidiary of Iliffe Media Group, an independent, family-owned multimedia publishing business headquartered in Milton, Cambridge, serving 11 counties across South East England, the East of England, East Anglia, and the Midlands. Its portfolio spans more than 40 local newspaper titles (including flagship Kent Messenger, Cambridge Independent, and Stamford Mercury — Britain's oldest newspaper), more than 40 regional news websites, seven FM radio stations plus DAB under the kmfm brand, Kent's dedicated KMTV television channel on Freeview 7 / Virgin Media 159 (a partnership with the University of Kent), lifestyle and B2B magazines, and an events and awards business. The IM News App consolidates access to all newspaper titles behind a Piano-powered metered paywall.

The technology stack is built around third-party SaaS rather than proprietary AI: Piano for subscription and paywall management, Google Partner certification for PPC, LiveRamp for cross-channel identity resolution, Comscore/IPSOS Dotmetrics/Parse.ly for audience analytics, HotJar for UX optimization, Naviga Prospect for self-service classifieds, JobBoard.com (HotLizard) for the IM Jobs / Kent Jobs recruitment properties, Aiir for radio broadcasting, MailChimp for email, DailyMotion for video, PageSuite for digital editions, and Fonix for SMS.

The business model is primarily B2B advertising-led, with five revenue streams: multi-platform advertising (display, native, sponsorship across print, web, radio, TV); recruitment advertising through IM Jobs, Kent Jobs, and integrated radio/print campaigns; digital marketing services (website design, PPC, SEO, social media, video, photography) packaged and sold through direct sales teams across 14 offices; digital subscriptions via the IM News App; and events / awards sponsorship. Customers are predominantly local SMBs and micro-businesses across retail, automotive, legal, home improvement, sports/recreation, and other local sectors, served from budgets under £100 to multi-thousand-pound campaigns, alongside consumers buying news subscriptions and reading/ listening/ watching the media. Pricing is largely quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with subscription billing monthly/annually and recruitment classifieds on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Name

Iliffe Media Ltd.

Legal name

Iliffe Media Group Ltd.

Website

https://iliffemedia.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Iliffe Media Ltd. is the operating arm of a family-owned UK regional multimedia group, publishing 40+ local newspapers, 40+ news websites, seven kmfm radio stations, KMTV television, magazines, and recruitment job boards across 11 counties, monetized through advertising, digital subscriptions, digital marketing services, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Media Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper publishing
• Digital advertising services
• Local media portfolio
• Recruitment advertising
• Digital marketing agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Primary revenue stream from businesses advertising across newspapers, websites, radio (kmfm), and TV (KMTV). Includes display advertising, native advertising, sponsored content, website sponsorships, and radio commercials. Serves businesses of all sizes from budgets under £100 to thousands of pounds.
2. Digital Subscriptions: Digital subscription model providing access to all newspapers through the IM News app on mobile, tablet, and desktop. Subscribers access premium content behind metered paywall.
3. Recruitment Advertising: Specialized job board services through IMJobs.co.uk and KentJobs.co.uk, complemented by newspaper and radio advertising for recruiters. Multiple service tiers from basic listings to comprehensive recruitment campaigns.
4. Digital Marketing Services: Agency-style services including website design and development, search engine marketing (PPC/SEO), social media management, video and photography production, and display advertising. Serves local businesses seeking to improve their digital presence.
5. Events and Awards: Organizes and hosts business awards events across their coverage areas including Kent Food & Drink Awards, Cambridge Independent Business Awards, and others. Revenue from event sponsorships and attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Iliffe Media Group is a family-owned multimedia publisher that delivers trusted local news and information across print newspapers, digital news websites, magazines, radio (kmfm), and television (KMTV) covering 11 counties in South East England, East of England, East Anglia, and the Midlands. The company monetises its audience reach primarily through advertising sales to local businesses, complemented by digital subscriptions via the IM News app, recruitment advertising on IMJobs and KentJobs, and agency-style digital marketing services (PPC, SEO, social media, website design, video).

Product overview

Iliffe Media Group is a multimedia publishing company operating a diversified portfolio across print newspapers, digital news websites, radio (kmfm), television (KMTV), magazines, and digital marketing services. The core products consist of trusted local newspaper titles (some dating back over 300 years) and their associated digital news platforms. The offering extends through digital subscription access via the IM News app, and the platform is monetised through integrated digital marketing services including website design, search engine marketing, social media management, display and native advertising, video production, and recruitment advertising through IM Jobs and Kent Jobs. The portfolio covers 11 counties in South East England, East Anglia, and the Midlands, reaching millions through combined social media followers and online audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kmfm: Kent's local radio station with seven FM stations serving communities including Medway, Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Canterbury, Whitstable, Gravesend, Dartford, Thanet, Folkestone and Dover, plus countywide DAB Digital service. Reaches 172,900 listeners weekly.
• KMTV
• KentOnline
• Cambridge Independent
• IM Jobs
• KentJobs
• IM News App
• Iliffe Media Promotions
• LincsOnline

Products and services

• Print Newspapers

Quantifiable outcome

• kmfm is Kent's most listened to commercial radio station with 172,900 weekly listeners
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of KentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKMTV is a unique partnership between KM Media Group and the University of Kent. This partnership created Kent's first dedicated television channel, delivering quality news, sport and entertainment 24/7 across Maidstone, Medway, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and surrounding areas on Freeview channel 7 and Virgin Media channel 159.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationIliffe Media is a certified Google Partner, enabling them to run Google Ads campaigns for advertisers. The Google Partner badge signifies expertise in digital advertising with access to latest insights, trends, promotional offers, and advanced product training.
• Piano Software Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationPiano provides subscription and metered paywall technology for Iliffe Media's digital subscriptions across websites and mobile applications. They process personal data for account management and subscription processes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Reach plc: UK's largest national and regional news publisher (Mirror, Express, Star, regional titles). Broad incumbent operating at greater scale with national digital reach, overlapping Iliffe in regional classified and recruitment advertising markets.
• DC Thomson: Scottish family-owned media company publishing newspapers (Courier, Press and Journal) and magazines. Comparable as a long-standing family-owned independent news publisher with multi-platform ambitions, though operating primarily in Scotland.

Others

• Piano Software Inc. Subscription/paywall technology partner powering Iliffe Media's IM News app. Vendor relationship rather than competitor, but materially comparable subscription platform providers and ecosystem enabler for digital subscription pivots at regional news publishers.

Direct peers

• Archant: Regional newspaper and digital publisher with strong East of England footprint historically, now part of Newsquest. Comparable regional portfolio overlap with Iliffe, particularly in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
• Bullivant Media: Independent Welsh-based regional newspaper and media publisher. Comparable as independent regional publisher focused on local titles, digital marketing services, and recruitment advertising for local SMEs.
• Midland News Association (MNA): Long-established Midlands-based regional newspaper publisher (Express & Star, Shropshire Star). Comparable in focus on regional print titles, digital transition, and family-controlled ownership serving SME advertisers in overlapping English regions.
• Newsquest Media Group: One of the UK's largest regional newspaper publishers (Gannett-owned) with both print titles and digital platforms plus digital marketing services. Closely comparable to Iliffe Media in multi-platform regional news strategy and advertiser base in overlapping English geographies.
• National World plc: UK regional and national news publisher demerged from JPI Media in 2021, operating titles across multiple regions. Directly comparable business model to Iliffe with print, digital, and recruitment advertising, targeting similar SME advertising base.
• JPI Media: UK regional newspaper and digital publisher (formerly Johnston Press) operating across Scotland and England. Direct comparable in scale of regional titles, digital transition, and dependence on local SME advertisers, including a prominent London IPO/National World demerger.
• Tindle Newspapers: Independent UK regional newspaper group operating weekly and local titles across England and Wales. Comparable in independent ownership, multi-title regional approach, print+digital model, and SME advertiser focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iliffe-media

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iliffe Media Ltd.