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UPDATE 1-Dawson revises newspaper distribution deals

Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:07pm EDT

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* Agrees terms with Trinity Mirror, Daily Mail

Media

* Will ensure continued supply as it exits news distribution

* FD says no date agreed for end of contracts

(Adds Trinity, Daily Mail statements, shares)

LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - British Dawson Holdings (DWN.L) has revised terms with suppliers, including Trinity Mirror (TNI.L) and Daily Mail (DMGOa.L), to ensure continued supply of newspapers and magazines as it exits the distribution business.

Dawson, which used to make 5 million deliveries in a year, has lost a string of distribution contracts to larger rivals John Menzies (MNZS.L) and Smiths News (SNWS.L), prompting it to wind down remaining contracts in its core news distribution division. [ID:nBNG428279]

Finance director Hugh Cawley said Dawson had not yet agreed when its news distribution contracts would end, but that Dawson was working to ensure a smooth handover to successors. Separately on Thursday, Daily Mail, which has already terminated Dawson's distribution contract with effect from October 2010, said it expected the handover to take place considerably earlier.

The publisher also said it was owed some 12 million pounds ($19.5 million) in circulation revenue from Dawson, while Trinity Mirror said in its statement it was owed 7 million.

Dawson said in its statement it had held talks with parties interested in the business and assets of its news distribution operations, grouped under Surridge Dawson Ltd.

A spokeswoman would not comment further.

Dawson shares, which have lost 92 percent of their value over the past year, closed down 2.0 percent at 6.38 pence.

Trinity Mirror ended Thursday down 2.4 percent at 51.5 pence, Daily Mail closed unchanged at 272.25 pence. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 0.6153 pound)



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