news


Oldham daily rises again as Doncaster jobs move


sudden closure in August with the loss of 49 jobs. The buyer, local independent radio station


T


Revolution 96.2, also has acquired the rights to a series of monthly sister titles including the Oldham Extra, Saddleworth Extra, Tameside Extra and Dale Times and quarterly magazines Oldham Business Edge, The Knowledge and Primary Knowledge.


The union has been in discussions with Matt


Ramsbottom, Revolution 96.2’s managing director, and is hopeful for the future of the 169-year-old title. Chris Morley, northern and Midlands


organiser, said: “I welcome the news that the highly respected Oldham Evening Chronicle and associated titles have been bought with the intention of relaunching them. “The suddenness of the collapse of the


Chronicle under previous ownership was traumatic for staff and we as a union are working hard to secure the best for our


he NUJ has welcomed the return of the Oldham Evening Chronicle after it was bought by a broadcaster following its


members from that collapse. “Clearly, there was a wealth of journalistic


experience and talent that had worked hard for the community that was laid waste at the time.” However, across the Pennines in Doncaster,


South Yorkshire, there has been a fresh blow to local journalism with the news that the


“


Doncaster Free Press will no longer be produced in the town a presence there for more than 90 years. Owner Johnston Press told journalists they


would have to move to an office in Sheffield or work from home. The paper moved to its current office in Printing Office Street only three years ago. It was previously based in offices at Sunny


Bar, its home since it was founded by printer Dickie Crowther in 1925. It was then called the Doncaster Free Press and Courier of Coming Events.


” PAUL LEAVES NUJ AFTER 25 YEARS P


aul Holleran, the NUJ’s Scottish organiser, has left the


union after more than 25 years in the role. He has returned to his


native Liverpool to work for the GMB. Holleran specialised in health and safety work and


sat on the Scottish Government’s umbrella group for mental health and suicide. He led much work on combating stress in the workplace. In addition, he was an active member of the cross-party group on media issues. Before working for the


NUJ, Paul Holleran was a journalist. At the GMB, he will be


responsible for health and safety and training for north-west England and Ireland. He is being replaced by


John Toner, the union’s freelance organiser.


Poetry prize for former FoC Martin A


former FoC at BBC Cymru/Wales has won a bardic chair and £100


at a festival held to commemorate a First World War poet. Martin Huws won the prize at the Black Chair Festival in Birkenhead for a series of poems about the life and


work of Hedd Wyn (Ellis Humphrey Evans). Hedd Wyn died after being


injured at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge in Belgium six weeks before he was due to win a bardic chair at the National Eisteddfod in Birkenhead in 1917. Many events have been


held in Wales, England and Belgium to commemorate Hedd Wyn. He died on the same day and in the same battle as Irish poet Francis Ledwidge.


Huws has worked at BBC


Cymru/Wales since 1994. He also worked at ITV Cymru and the Western Mail.


A wealth of journalistic talent that had worked for the community was laid waste


in brief...


HARDING TO STAND DOWN FROM THE BBC James Harding, BBC director of news and current affairs, is standing down at the start of the new year to set up his own news media venture. He joined the BBC in 2013, having left the editor’s role at The Times the year before. The BBC has recently received criticism over its coverage of the Scottish Independence referendum, Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn.


JAMES MURDOCH CHAIR OF SKY AGAIN James Murdoch has been re-elected as chair of Sky despite a shareholder rebellion. Just 51.6 per cent backed him to stay in the top job. Dissenters were concerned there was a potential conflict of interest because of Murdoch’s role as chief executive of 21st Century Fox, which is trying to buy Sky in an £11.7 billion deal.


PA TAKES STAKE IN EQUITY NEWS GROUP The Press Association has taken a stake in a London-based financial news service that wants to expand across Europe. PA and Germany’s Deutsche Presse-Agentur have taken a combined eight per cent stake in Alliance News. The group, which was launched in 2013, provides real-time equities news for financial professionals and investors.


PRIMA EDITOR GETS BROADER HEARST JOB Hearst UK has appointed the executive editor of Prima, Gaby Huddart, to the role of acting group editorial director. She is responsible for lifestyle magazines Prima, Good Housekeeping and Red. Huddart has been executive editor of Prima for four years.


EX BBC TRUSTEE GOES TO TRINITY MIRROR Former BBC Trustee Nick Prettejohn has been appointed as the new chair of Trinity Mirror’s board of directors. Prettejohn, who is chair of insurance firm Scottish Widows, will join the board as non-executive director in February before he is set to take over as chairman in May.


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