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‘Last Johnston’ in talks over future

The last member of the Johnston family still working at Johnston Press is in consultations over his future with the regional publisher.

Michael Johnston, divisional managing director for Scotland and the North East, is one of three senior executives whose roles are at risk in a proposed restructure.

The Johnston family has been involved in the printing business since 1767 and bought control of its first newspaper, the Falkirk Herald, in 1846.

Michael is the son of Freddy Johnston, whose retirement in 2010 meant there was no family member on the company’s main board for the first time in its 243 year history.

The other two executives in consultation with the company over their futures are David Caskie, divisional finance director for Scotland and North-East and Richard Bell, managing director of Johnston Falkirk.

The news was carried in the business pages of its flagship title, The Scotsman, earlier today.

In a statement issued last night, chief executive Ashley Highfield said: “We can confirm that we are in consultation with senior executives at The Scotsman Publications and Johnston Falkirk and we are unable to make any further comment at the present time.”

Ashley has recently taken over as chief executive at the company, joining from Microsoft, where he was vice-president responsible for its UK consumer arm.

4 comments

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  • February 22, 2012 at 2:45 pm
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    As Ashley Highfield is ex-Microsoft, his first task should be to implement his former employer’s advice to the Newspaper Society and start charging a realistic rate for online services. Research by both IBM and Microsoft has consistently shewn that if readers really want online services, they are happy to pay a commercial rate for it.

    That way Johnson Press could start making some real money from online that can be used to end job cuts and start paying its over-worked journalists market salaries.

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  • February 22, 2012 at 3:01 pm
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    So, er, just like readers are willing to pay to read News International services online or am I missing something?

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  • February 22, 2012 at 3:43 pm
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    Can Chris Youett please provide links to the research he or she refers to in their Comment? Thanks.

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  • February 24, 2012 at 11:15 am
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    @ Chris Youett; so that’s the answer, so simple why didn’t anyone think of that before?

    What a Muppet comment!

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