A South West daily editor is to move to a new role from next Monday after being named the new boss of the Western Morning News.
Bill Martin, editor of The Herald in Plymouth for the past seven years, will take over from Alan Qualtrough, whose departure was announced recently.
Bill, pictured left, has been editor of The Herald since 2005 having previously served as deputy editor and news editor on the title.
Alan announced he was standing down earlier this month “to pursue other interests,” becoming the seventh Northcliffe daily editor or weekly group editor to leave his post in the past year.
Said Bill: “I am absolutely thrilled and immensely proud to be taking over one of the country’s great regional newspapers. The paper has gone from strength to strength under Alan’s leadership and I am looking forward to continuing the development of the title, and to producing a newspaper that champions all of Devon and Cornwall, and its values and aspirations.
“I grew up and have spent a large part of my life in Western Morning News country, so am really delighted to take on this opportunity.”
Bill previously succeeded Alan as editor of The Herald in 2005 when Alan replaced Barrie Williams as editor of the WMN.
Andrew Blair, managing director of South West Media Group, said: “Bill has proven to be a first class editor and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”
The process to appoint a new editor of The Herald will begin immediately.
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Bill: How old is that picture?
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‘ Gone from strength to strength’ and ‘ continuing the development of the title’ what on earth does this twaddle mean – please explain.
ABC sales are 27,000, down over 9% on the previous year.
Sales are spread across 4 or even 5 counties in the region I suspect?
A sure candidate for weekly soon!
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The latest ABC figure for the Western Morning News is 31,642, down 1% year on year, on an actively purchased sale of 99.6 per cent.
This, as HTFP reported last week, makes it the best performing regional daily in the country.
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Time for the cull, furryoldgreybadger. Check the latest ABCs again and you will see the Western Morning News sells 31,642 a day – down just 1% on the year, making it the best performing daily paper in the UK if bulk sales are excluded. Get back in your sett.
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Wonder if Philip Bowern applied this time. He is a decent guy, bad sadly seems to be headed for the eternal role of deputy – the most consistent thing about this paper!
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The Express and Echo in Exeter and the Torquay Herald Express have both gone from daily to weekly publication in recent months, so perhaps this has helped the WMN’s impressive circulation figures.
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Look forward to crime on the front page of the Western Morning News everyday now then.
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Meanwhile The Herald’s figures have dropped off a cliff..
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With decent editors being binned left, right and centre all over the country, I don’t somehow recall having seen this vacancy advertised. No change there, then.
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