AddThis SmartLayers

Speculation mounting over new Johnston Press boss

Johnston Press was today refusing to comment on reports that it is set to appoint the boss of rival newspaper group Archant as the successor to its outgoing chief executive Tim Bowdler.

Mr Bowdler, 61, is due to retire in May next year and within the last 24 hours two national newspapers have speculated that Archant chief executive John Fry has been lined up to replace him.

Mr Fry, who has been head of Archant since 2002, is believed to head a five-person shortlist of potential successors with contractual negotiations reported to be taking place this week.

A JP company spokesman today said they had no comment to make at this stage.

Mr Fry, 51, has been credited with ensuring that Norwich-based Archant proved more resilient to the advertising downturn than some other newspaper groups.

The Financial Times said its combination of websites and very tightly focused weekly papers has prompted some analysts to identify Archant as a model for the industry.

Mr Fry has been chief executive of Archant since 2002 and was previously chief executive of Misys, a supplier of software systems to the banking industry.

The FT reported that while no final contract had been signed with any individual, Mr Fry was the candidate with whom Johnston is currently finalising contractual arrangements.

Comments

Phil Dott (29/09/2008 23:42:32)
‘Very tightly focused weekly papers’?
In other words, more parish pump drivel that is, in this day and age, turning people away. Still, if the suits believe that ‘spanner stolen from garden shed’ sort of copy is what people want then let them find out the hard way.