A regional daily editor already responsible for five daily and weekly titles is to oversee a further six following a recent company takeover.
Regional publisher Newsquest recently purchased the Dunfermline-based Romanes Media Group, which also owned the Berkshire Media Group based in Reading.
The deal has since has triggered a management restructure which has seen two RMG executives leave the business and Newsquest’s Hampshire division expanded to include the newly-acquired Berkshire operation.
In the latest move, it has been anounced that Southern Daily Echo editor Ian Murray, left, will assume editorial oversight of the six BMG titles, which include the Reading Chronicle and Slough Observer.
In his role as editor-in-chief of Newsquest Hampshire, Ian was already responsible for the Hampshire Chronicle, the Romsey Advertiser, the Andover Advertiser and the Basingstoke Gazette series as well as the Echo.
Other titles he will now oversee as group editor of the newly-formed Newsquest Hampshire and Berkshire Region include the Ascot News, Bracknell News, Newbury and Thatcham Chronicle and the Royal Borough Observer, covering Windsor and Maidenhead.
Editors across Berkshire will report to Ian, while Ian will continue to report to Amanda Davison-Young, who was recently appointed as managing director Hampshire and Berkshire.
Other changes since the purchase have seen the creation of a new Newsquest Clyde and Forth division to oversee the newly-acquired Scottish titles, headed by Graham Morrison.
As reported earlier this week, Keith McIntyre, the former managing director of Berkshire Media Group, has left the company along with former RMG finance director Graham Faulds.
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The saddest thing about this whole situation is that the Newsquest supremo who first walked into their office didn’t at least get dressed up as Darth Vader just for the fun of it.
‘I am not leaving a garrison here and altering the bargain, PRAY I don’t alter it any further.’
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To be fair, while I haven’t seen many of the Berkshire papers in recent months, the Reading Chronicle is a mere shadow of its former self and perhaps the new editor in chief will give it the shake it needs on news gathering. Some of the writing is simply awful – reporters writing more about themselves than telling readers about the actual story!
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In practical terms, if you look at the facts, it is not feasible to call Ian Murray the editor of anything in any real sense. Deep down, he must know this himself.
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Observer50, if you haven’t seen the Chrnicle for months, don’t comment. The paper is going from strength to strength as illustrated by the fact that it has picked up almost half of the Reading Post sale since its closure – and more importantly held them for over 6 months. If the Chron really was as poor as you say, the sale would be dropping not growing
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And Hampshire, Romsey and Basingstoke lost their editors when Murray took over so despite the Reading Chronicle editor saying she wasn’t going anywhere when the Reading Post closed I suspect she might be…
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Sorry Watcher. I actually said I haven’t seen some of the other Berkshire papers for some time. I have, however, seen the Reading Chronicle – and I stand by comments about the woeful state of reporting.
As for whether or not the paper has gained sales from the closure of the rival Reading Post – and kept those sales – let’s wait until we see the official ABC figures.
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