Press Gazette Latest News

Metro to launch quarterly travel supplement in London

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:44:36 -0700

Associated Newspapers freesheet Metro is to launch a quarterly travel supplement for London commuters. From next week, the glossy Metro Journeys will be available with editions of the morning paper distributed in the capital’s mainline stations, tube stations across zones one-to-three and some stations in zone four. Metro, which distributed an average of 735,492 newspapers each day [...]

First female chairman for Scottish PPA

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:43:31 -0700

Magazine trade body PPA Scotland has appointed Helenor Gilmour, DC Thomson’s head of consumer insight and brand development, as its first female chairman. Gilmour will replace Fraser Allen, of White Light Media, while Hamish Miller, publisher at Holyrood Communications, will replace Steve Craven, of Craven Publishing, as vice-chairman. The appointments follow former Emap executive Barry McIlheney joining [...]

Report: Lord Ashcroft legal pressure delays Panorama investigaion

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:29:36 -0700

Legal pressure has prompted the BBC to shelve a Panorama documentary investigating controversial Conservative Party donor and ‘non dom’ tax exile Lord Ashcroft, The Independent reports. A BBC team led by James Oliver has travelled to Belize and the Turks and Caicos Islands to investigate Ashcroft, according to The Independent. Ashcroft is currently suing The Independent over [...]

Richard Ayre to join BBC Trust

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:16:38 -0700

The former deputy chief executive of BBC News, Richard Ayre, is to join the BBC Trust. Ayre, who is currently the Ofcom Content Board member for England and chairman of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Review Committee, will replace former ITN editor-in-chief Richard Tait. Tait will step down on 31 July with Ayre taking up his appointment on 1 August.

High Court win for Abramovich against Italian newspaper

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:39:00 -0700

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich today accepted a formal apology and "substantial damages" at London's High Court from an Italian newspaper.

Murdoch MacLennan succeeds Bowdler as PA chairman

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:24:00 -0700

Murdoch MacLennan, chief executive of the Telegraph Media Group, has been appointed as the new non-executive chairman of PA Group.

Peers accuse Government of Afghan news 'blackout'

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:06:00 -0700

Government plans to limit journalists' access to troops in Afghanistan during the election campaign sparked a furious row in the House of Lords yesterday.

Jobs to go at Stratford Herald

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:47:50 -0700

Family-owned Midlands newspaper, the Stratford Herald, is to drop three of its ten journalists, according to reports. Editor Chris Towner told Holdthefrontpage: “Like everybody else we’re having a rough time and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. We thought we could weather the storm as we have done in previous recessions but this one [...]

New York Times in deal with blog aggregator Fwix to provide local content

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:23:29 -0700

The New York Times company has made an agreement with “real time local newswire” Fwix to use content it has aggregated from “local news, blogs and citizen journalism” across the US. According to the press release, the “umbrella agreement enables the distribution of Fwix’s technology and hyper-local content across any of The New York Times Company’s [...]

Ten new journalism jobs found today

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:18:30 -0700

Press Gazette has found ten new jobs for journalists today. To view the daily archive of our journalism jobs search click on Journalism Jobs. Financial News is looking for a news editor. You will be an experienced news journalist with good knowledge of sectors; investment banking, asset management, private equity and trading and technology. Job location: London Financial [...]

Scottish plan to allow councils to cease press ads abandoned

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:59:41 -0700

Public notices will continue to be published in local and regional newspapers in Scotland after ministers dropped plans to shift advertising to the internet. Scottish finance secretary, John Swinney, said yesterday that opposition to the plan aimed at saving councils around £4m each year by removing their obligation to place notices in the press had proved [...]

Sian Williams in failed clothing tax relief bid

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:35:00 -0700

TV Breakfast host Sian Williams's accountant told a tax tribunal she would be willing to present her BBC show naked, but BBC bosses would not let her.

Scottish Big Issue turns Wee Issue for schools

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:40:00 -0700

The Scottish version of The Big Issue will next week launch a special edition of the magazine to be distributed for free to all secondary school pupils in Scotland.

H Bauer announces departure of That�s Life! editor

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:20:00 -0700

The editor of real life weekly That�s Life! is to leave after five years at the helm of the magazine.

Drummond celebrates victory in Thai libel battle

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:46:00 -0700

British freelance journalist Andrew Drummond has celebrated a victory in his long-running criminal libel battle through the Thai courts.

OFT clears Lebedev takeover of Independent

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:14:17 -0700

The Office of Fair Trading has cleared the likely takeover of the Independent and Independent on Sunday by the Russian billionaire, and owner of the London Evening Standard, Alexander Lebedev. The OFT issued a mergers update this afternoon: “The OFT has decided, on the information currently available to it, that a relevant merger situation, under the provisions [...]

Donal MacIntyre to co-present ITV London Tonight

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:08:00 -0700

Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre is to become the new co-presenter of ITV London Tonight alongside Katie Derham.

Channel M mothballed as shows go and 90% of staff axed

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:49:00 -0700

Guardian Media Group is to cut almost ninety per cent of the workforce at Channel M and end production of original programming after being unable to find a buyer.

Johnston Press starts rollout of new websites

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:07:51 -0700

Johnston Press has begun rolling out new versions of its websites – and not before time. HTFP reports that The Grantham Journal and Peterborough’s Evening Telegraph are “both sporting the revamped online offerings and inviting readers to have their say on the new websites.” Johnston Press has long been playing catch-up with some, frankly, poor digital versions [...]

Rebekah Brooks joins board of PA Group

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:10:00 -0700

Rebekah Brooks, former editor of The Sun turned chief executive of News International, has joined the board of PA Group, owners of the Press Association.

Children�s Commissioner: family court rules need review

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:52:00 -0700

The Children�s Commissioner for England has called for a review of rules governing media access to family courts raising fears that public scrutiny threatens wellbeing.

Centaur launches paywalled Marketing Week spin-off

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:35:00 -0700

Centaur Media will next week launch a new paywall-protected online publication as a spin-off from Marketing Week to provide news, commentary, analysis and information.

Dorset Life magazine censured by ASA

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:30:00 -0700

Independent title Dorset Life has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority after carrying a misleading ad.

ASA: Johnston Press jobs website ad banned

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:29:00 -0700

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a local press ad run by Johnston Press.