News Ltd in major restructure and focuses on “aggressive growth” of The Australian
News Limited has announced a major restructure of its Australian operations which sees Nationwide News MD Alasdair MacLeod depart and News Digital Media boss Richard Freudenstein add The Australian to his management portfolio.
The changes include:
- Nationwide News – the News Ltd division covering The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, mX and Sportsman – sees MD Alasdair MacLeod leave the company for “new endeavours”.
- The Australian spun into its own division under the control of Richard Freudenstein with a brief “to grow a fully multi-media brand, not just digital”. He will also continue to run NDM as a separate division.
- Nick Leeder will leave his role as chief operating officer at NDM to become deputy chief executive officer of The Australian.
- The remainder of Nationwide News to be headed by Michael Miller, previously MD of Advertiser Newspapers in Adelaide.
- Miller will be replaced in Adelaide by Perth-based Sunday Times MD Ish Davies.
- Jason Scott GM of North Queensland Newspapers replaces Davies in Perth.
- Michael Wilkins, currently group editorial business manager, moves to North Queensland.
The latest restructure comes just a month after several executive promotions at News Digital Media, including the appointment of chief commercial officer Ed Smith to the role of chief executive of content and commercial.
Smith’s old position no longer exists, with the company’s national sales director Tony Prentice now in the newly-created role of commercial director – which includes some of Smith’s previous responsibilities.
Wonder what they have planned for The Australian
I wonder as well Larry. The Aus will definitely be the jewel in the crown, given the weight they’re putting behind it.
I know Murdoch used the Oz as a way of showing the Bancroft family he could do a classy newspaper … maybe they will pursue similar tactics with The Oz here that they’re exploring with the WSJ?
I think that’s the key, Larry – quality. News needs a product people will willingly pay for online. HUGE doubt whether anyone is going to subscribe to a locked-off online Daily Telegraph or any of the other tabloids.
The Australian is their best chance of making a pay wall work, I reckon. Wouldn’t be surprised to hear it’s first cab off the rank…
Some very talented people being moved up. The Oz is clearly going to be the pilot for Ruperts vision of the brave new world.