The KM Group has launched a bid for seven Kent newspaper titles.

The proposed purchase, which is subject to approval by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), involves the Medway News, Isle of Thanet Gazette, Thanet Times, Folkestone Herald, Dover Express, the Times series covering Canterbury, Faversham, Whitstable and Herne Bay, and the East Kent Gazette.

The titles are currently owned by Kent Regional News and Media (KRNM)

The proposed acquisition is subject to a 40-working day investigation by the OFT.

Staff in both organisations were briefed on the proposed acquisition yesterday.

The KM Group is a family-owned multi-media business founded in the late 1800s. It publishes paid-for titles, including the Kent Messenger, Medway Messenger, Kentish Gazette, Kentish Express, Sheerness Times Guardian, Gravesend and Dartford Messenger, and the East Kent Mercury. It also publishes the free Extra series, runs seven radio stations under the kmfm banner, operates the kmfm Extra digital station, and provides an extensive service of online news and features.

KRNM is part of Northcliffe Media, a division of the Daily Mail & General Trust. It is retaining the Courier series in west Kent and the Sevenoaks Chronicle.