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Editor takes on new board role at regional daily

The editor of a North West daily newspaper has taken on a new role as managing editor of his title.

Dave Whaley, editor of the Oldham Chronicle since 2010, has taken on the newly-created role as managing editor.

His appointment comes as part of a boardroom shake-up following the retirement of 73-year-old Hubert Hirst as chairman of the Chronicle’s parent company Hirst, Kidd and Rennie Ltd.

The current managing director Philip Hirst, 62 takes his place as chairman, while 53-year-old Dave takes on part of Philip’s old role.

Dave was appointed editor in 2010 after ten years as deputy editor.

Educated in Oldham, he trained at the Chronicle and then spent 15 years at other newspapers, including the Lincolnshire Echo and the Birmingham Post and Mail, before returning to Oldham in 2000.

In his 51 years at the Chronicle, Hubert Hirst oversaw the introduction of new technology as the basis of creating newspapers.

He also masterminded the rebuilding of the Chronicle¹s offices at 172 Union Street, Oldham, in the early 1970s and the installation of a printing press in a new press hall in 1990.

Commenting on the changes, Philip Hirst said:  “The newspaper industry has absorbed many changes over the last few years, but there remain many challenges as  the collision of print and digital worlds continues to alter the landscape of news.

“Those structural changes to the industry are compounded by  the continuing recession and by politicians who on the one hand profess to love local newspapers, but on the other appear to want to damage them.

“For instance, there have been moves to remove the obligation for some public notices to appear in local newspapers, and, of course, the introduction of a system of press regulation that would impose unnecessary financial burdens on the regional press.

“We still believe that a daily newspaper is good for Oldham and local democracy, and will continue to strive to provide it.”