Editing Crawley (section)

== Media ==
Crawley has three local newspapers, of which two have a long history in the area. The ''Crawley Observer'' began life in 1881 as ''Simmins Weekly Advertiser'', became the ''Sussex & Surrey Courier'' and then the ''Crawley and District Observer'', and took its current name in 1983.<ref name="news">{{cite web|url=http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/RO/MG8.2.pdf |title=Newspapers in West Sussex |access-date=31 August 2007 |publisher=West Sussex County Council |year=2003 |author=West Sussex Record Office |work=Local History Mini-guide to Sources No. 8 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119055857/http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/RO/MG8.2.pdf |archive-date=19 January 2012 }}</ref> The newspaper is now owned by [[Johnston Press]].{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} The ''Crawley News'' was first published in 1979, and later took over the operations of the older ''Crawley Advertiser'' which closed in 1982.<ref name="leisure"/> The newspaper was taken over by the [[Trinity Mirror]] group in 2015 as part of the purchase of [[Local World]]<ref name="cn">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/28/trinity-mirror-local-world-deal|title=Trinity Mirror confirms £220m Local World deal|date=28 October 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|last1=Sweney|first1=Mark|access-date=26 October 2016|archive-date=25 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825234808/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/28/trinity-mirror-local-world-deal|url-status=live}}</ref> but its last edition was published on 26 October 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2016/news/fourth-newspaper-closure-announced-by-trinity-mirror-in-24-hours/|title=Trinity Mirror to close Crawley News next week - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage|newspaper=HoldTheFrontPage|language=en-US|access-date=26 October 2016|archive-date=26 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026033411/http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2016/news/fourth-newspaper-closure-announced-by-trinity-mirror-in-24-hours/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2008 Johnston Press launched a new weekly broadsheet newspaper called the ''Crawley Times'' based on the companies paper produced in Horsham, the ''West Sussex County Times''.<ref name="Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/news/Meet-Alan-Titchmarsh-with-the.4555845.jp|title=Crawley Times|access-date=4 January 2009|publisher=Johnston Press|year=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113180222/http://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/news/Meet-Alan-Titchmarsh-with-the.4555845.jp|archive-date=13 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Crawley is served by the London regional versions of [[BBC London|BBC]] and [[ITV London|ITV]] television from the Crystal Palace or Reigate transmitters. Alternatively the town is also well served by [[BBC South East]] and [[ITV Meridian]] on the Heathfield transmitter and [[Freesat]]. This means the town is served by news and television programmes from both London and Tunbridge Wells (where the BBC South East Today studios are situated).<ref name="tv">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukfree.tv/askforDTT.php?postcode=RH101BZ&goto=%2Ftransmitters.php&btnG=Go|title=Transmitters|access-date=31 March 2008|publisher=UK Free TV|year=2007|work=UK Free TV website}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

[[Radio Mercury]] began broadcasting on 20 October 1984 from [[Broadfield House, Crawley|Broadfield House]] in Broadfield.<ref name="merc">{{cite web|url=http://www.mercuryfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=557190|title=Information about Mercury FM|access-date=31 March 2008|year=2008|author=GCap Media plc|work=Mercury FM website|archive-date=22 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122234159/https://www.heart.co.uk/crawley/|url-status=live}}</ref> The station, now owned by [[Global Radio]], broadcasts as [[Heart South]] from Brighton, with the studios in Kelvin Way in Crawley closed in August 2010.{{cn|date=December 2024}} On 1 February 2011, the local [[Gold (British radio network)|Gold]] transmitter on 1521 AM closed and listeners were advised to retune to 1548 AM (Gold London) or 1323 AM (Gold Sussex).{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} Local BBC radio was provided by BBC Radio Sussex from 1983; this became part of [[BBC Southern Counties Radio]] following a merger with [[BBC Radio Surrey]] in 1994.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} From March 2009, BBC Southern Counties Radio became [[BBC Sussex]] on 104.5FM and [[BBC Surrey]] on 104FM. Due to the positioning of their transmitters, when broadcasting separately both stations cover Crawley stories.