John Reynolds, Media Week, 18 September 2008, 1:10pm

DMGT to merge its national and regional businesses

LONDON - Daily Mail & General Trust plans to merge its national and regional businesses into a new unit, A&N Media, and has promoted Associated Newspapers chief Kevin Beatty to manage the new operation.

Beatty: will manage new A&N Media operation

In a statement to the City, DMGT said that Michael Pelosi, managing director of Northcliffe Media, will retain his role. Beatty will also retain his role as group managing director of Associated.

It added that A&N Media will continue to deliver all its consumer newspaper and digital brands through Associated Newspapers and Northcliffe Media, while realising the efficiencies that this combination brings about, without specifying its plans.

DMGT could not be reached for comment.

It is thought that savings could be found through the merger of certain back office functions of Associated Newspapers and Northcliffe Media.

In July, DMGT announced that Associated Newspapers’ ad revenue fell by 5% year on year during the first half of 2008, with display down by 5% and classified down 9%, and, according to the interim report, these trends have "broadly continued into July".