View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
October 20, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 5:14pm

Highbury’s chief operating officer quits

By Press Gazette

By Alyson Fixter

The chief operating officer of struggling publisher Highbury House
has resigned just three weeks after taking on the role, following the
installation of former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie as executive
chairman.

Mike Frey, previously managing director of Highbury’s entertainment
division, had been due to take over from departing chief executive Mark
Simpson at the end of September.

MacKenzie, who quit as chief
executive of TalkSport owner The Wireless Group in the summer, took a
20 per cent stake in Highbury in September.

Under takeover rules, he would be obliged to make an offer for the publisher if his stake rose to 30 per cent.

A
statement put up on the Stock Exchange this week said: “The Board of
Highbury House Communications announces that Mike Frey, chief operating
officer, has left the company by mutual consent with immediate
effect. He will not be replaced.”

Other senior staff who
have stepped down this summer include David Nizol, the original chief
operating officer, and group finance director Owen Davies.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

MacKenzie,
who this week penned a column for The Sun, has taken on the role of
executive chairman at Highbury at a difficult time for the publisher,
which announced in February that its debts stood at £64m.The company
has since sold off 38 titles to rival Future, including Health &
Fitness and DVD Review, has closed Home and Inspirations, and sold Real
Homes to Hachette Filipacchi for £500,000.

However, Highbury has
also won a contract to publish a monthly magazine for computer games
retailer Game, and has retained its Bournemouth-based gaming titles and
men’s magazine Front.

Industry commentators have blamed
Highbury’s difficulties on a previous programme of rapid expansion that
the publisher was unable to sustain, and have speculated that it could
be rescued by its current scaleback of operations and focus on
specialist titles.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network