Keith first moved into the world of digital media in 2000 as regional director of Northcliffe Electronic Publishing, before becoming editor in 2001 and managing director and editor in 2004.

With the creation of Associated Northcliffe Digital in May 2006, he became MD of its digital publishing division which was recently named Team of the Year at the Newspaper Society Advertising and Digital Media Awards 2008.

He is now set to bring his digital expertise to bear in spearheading the next phase of development of Northcliffe Media's thisis sites.

Keith first joined Northcliffe as a trainee reporter at the Grimsby Evening Telegraph in 1978, before working at the Derby Evening Telegraph, Hull Daily Mail and Birmingham Evening Mail. He was also launch editor of UK News.

He left the group in 1993 to edit the South Wales Echo, then owned by the Thomson Organisation, but returned to Northcliffe as editor of the Derby Evening Telegraph in 1997.

Northcliffe Media managing director Michael Pelosi said today: "I am pleased to announce that Keith is rejoining Northcliffe.

"Initially, he will work on the development of the next phase of our 'this is' sites. This is a key component of Northcliffe's 2009 digital plans."