American Marconi Wireless News - France's top-selling newspaper to slash jobs

Many local papers had fared better than national French dailies in resisting the industry-wide erosion of print editions, which command more lucrative advertising rates, as readers migrated to online editions.

But Ouest-France, which covers a swath of western France including Brittany, Normandy and the Pays de la Loire, has seen circulation drop by five or six percent annually in recent years, to a daily average of around 600,000 last year.

It had announced a cost-cutting plan to stanch mounting losses and had expected to cut 10 percent of its reported 1,500-strong headcount, but so far the plan had not led to job cuts for journalists.

The new plan will include 116 job cuts in the newsroom, union sources told AFP on Wednesday. Ouest-France declined to comment, saying "we want to keep our communications internal".

"People are really shocked. It's the first time there's been this type of move at the paper," said Vanessa Ripoche, a union delegate.

The paper aims to return to profit in 2028, after posting a loss of nearly nine million euros ($10 million) last year.

Another regional daily, Sud Ouest, announced earlier this month a plan to be bought by the Belgian media group Rossel, following years of staff cuts.

O.Norris--AMWN