INDEPENDENT BOARD MEETING – UPDATE

It has now been confirmed that Andreas Whittam-Smith has indeed resigned as Chief Executive of Newspaper Publishing PLC. The Board has appointed him Deputy Chairman and Editor-in-Chief.

Mr Whittam-Smith will concentrate on developing the papers; he presented extensive plans for development to the Board, but as Mediatel was told this afternoon by Alan Huw Smith, no details can be revealed at this stage other than that they are preparing for a promotion war this autumn.

The Board has appointed Sir Kit McMahon as a non-executive director, and willseek a new Chief Executive later this year. Sir McMahon is Chairman of Coutts Consulting Group, and a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.