Northcliffe Media has announced a further shake-up of its regional newspaper divisions, reducing the number from six to three.

Two years ago the company’s publishing centres were reorganised into six regional divisions, namely North-East, Midlands, West and Wales, South West Dailies, South West Weeklies and South East Weeklies.

Now that has been further rationalised to three – Midlands and North, South West and Wales, and South East.

In a further move, former Leicester Mercury and Nottingham Evening Post editor Alex Leys, who was regional MD for the Midlands, has been made deputy to Northcliffe MD Michael Pelosi.

The shake-up will create two powerful new regional managing directors in Phil Inman (Midlands and North) and Steve Anderson-Dixon (South West and Wales).

Richard Karn will continue to lead Northcliffe’s South East publishing centres, but Duncan Currall and Tony Hazell, currently regional managing directors for South West Media and South West Weeklies respectively, will now report to Mr Anderson-Dixon.

Mr Pelosi said that the new structure was aimed at creating a leaner and more responsive business.

He said Alex Leys’ new role will focus on group initiatives aimed at helping its publishing operations best define their publishing portfolios, whilst improving operational efficiency.

The shake-up does not affect the roles or positions of the six regional editorial directors, which continue to be organised along the existing lines.

They are John Meehan (North-East), Malcolm Pheby (Midlands), Mike Norton (West and Wales), Alan Qualtrough (South West Dailies), Andy Cooper (South West Weeklies) and the newly-appointed Alan Geere (South East Weeklies.)

Comments

Mr Osato (27/10/2008 11:14:15)
I wonder how many journalists jobs could be created by getting rid of this vast collection of middle managers – perhaps enough to secure a sustained improvement in the quality of the titles produced? Don’t know, very little experience of Northcliffe having never worked there, but can any Northcliffe underlings tells us if this tier of management actually contributes anything useful?

Redundant (27/10/2008 17:17:45)
Nearly 1,000 jobs went in Northcliffe following the last ‘restructuring’, so hold onto the seat of your pants!

mark mywurdz (27/10/2008 20:53:37)
In answer to Mr Osato – ” No”
I work for Northcliffe and never see my editor as he is constantly buzzing back and forth from one of our papers to the other. Multi tasking centralisation is the buzz word, I call it-flog the staff to death for the same money.

Exex (28/10/2008 09:44:28)
I have a lot of sympathy for the Northcliffe journos. My fixed term contract at one of the regionals ended recently and morale in the newsroom was low, with a recruitment freeze and good people leaving and not being replaced. I could understand this reshuffle if it meant pruning some of the upper echelons and saving money, but this merely adds another tier of expensive bureaucracy on top of the poor underpaid, overworked hacks at the bottom of the pyramid.

JD (28/10/2008 16:44:22)
Face it folks, we’re all doomed. There’s the credit crunch, print is dead, middle management couldn’t find it’s arse with both hands and a stick attached to but-seeking-radar, regions have no clue how shafted they are and are just carrying on regardless hoping ‘print will pick up again’ with outdated computers/connections and their head in the sand. Doomed. I’m off to take a plumbing course…