FT.com: Emap parts with chief as strategy shifts
Wednesday, 11 May 2011, 11:34
"Friends said [David Gilbertson] had left [Emap] after agreeing with its owners, Guardian Media Group and Apax Partners, that a five-year restructuring is needed. … [The] departure of Mr Gilbertson is certain to raise questions over the strategy…
Press Gazette: Emap boss David Gilbertson to step down
Tuesday, 10 May 2011, 21:45
"David Gilbertson is stepping down after three years as chief executive of Emap. … No announcement has yet been made about a successor"
Creative Disruption: I’m moving on…farewell Guardian, hello LOVEFiLM
Wednesday, 5 May 2010, 12:08
Simon Waldman: "In a couple of weeks I’ll be leaving [GMG] to take on a new challenge – as Group Product Director at LOVEFiLM."
Times Online: Guardian Media Group to take £150m hit on Emap
Sunday, 14 March 2010, 20:21
"GMG and Apax are buying back debt from Emap’s lenders after a warning in the last accounts of 'significant doubt' that the publisher could continue as a going concern because of its £700m debt pile. The owners are expected to buy back more than £100m of the borrowings to give David Gilbertson, the chief executive, more freedom to seek acquisitions and invest in the business. Despite its indebtedness, Emap has fared well in the recession. Advertising revenue has fallen sharply and conference attendances have declined, but it earned close to £100m in the past 12 months, roughly the same as a year ago and enough to cover its annual £50m interest bill. However, it is at risk of breaching technical conditions, or covenants, on its loans later this year."
Guardian: Guardian Media Group sells regional business to Trinity Mirror
Tuesday, 9 February 2010, 11:39
"The deal is worth £44.8m to Guardian Media Group, with £7.4m in cash and Trinity Mirror releasing GMG from a £37.4m print contract. … Its Greater Manchester TV station, Channel M, and the local newspapers in Woking are not included in the deal."
FT.com: GMG faces quandary over online charging
Saturday, 19 September 2009, 09:05
"GMG and its sovereign body, the Scott Trust, have had heated internal debates, with senior staff questioning the level of investment in the lossmaking guardian.co.uk at a time of recession. … a person with knowledge of the business claimed on Friday the total net loss on the digital side since 2002 had been £20m, although no breakdown of those figures was provided. Annual revenue, all derived from digital advertising, had now risen to about £30m. … Senior staff told the FT that more people in both the editorial and commercial divisions of GNM were beginning to question the viability of the creed of free online content."
paidContent:UK: Interview: Dennis’ New CTO Paul Lomax: On E-Books And Leaving GMG
Wednesday, 5 August 2009, 23:18
"Dennis will next week re-launch PCPro.co.uk as the first stage of a company-wide revamp of its sites using a new in-house CMS."
Press Gazette: 180-page weekly to replace the Reading Evening Post
Wednesday, 27 May 2009, 15:30
"From 3 June, the five-days-a-week title will be replaced with a 180-page weekly, the Reading Post, which will come out on Wednesdays, priced 40p. A new title, Getreading, will be distributed on Fridays on a part-paid part-free basis. It is named after the Post’s getreading.co.uk website."
Press Gazette: GMG considers charging for parts of Guardian.co.uk
Tuesday, 5 May 2009, 20:54
"Guardian Media Group is considering charging for content in some specialist areas of Guardian.co.uk such as Media Guardian, its chief executive Carolyn McCall has revealed."
Times Online: A little war and Peace in The Guardian boardroom
Wednesday, 8 April 2009, 12:09
"The Guardian and The Observer lost £26.8 million before various one-off write-offs in the year to March 2008. The recession means that the figure will be worse this year. … All this has been historically propped up by other businesses, but profits at GMG's regional newspapers have collapsed by 85 per cent to less than £2 million … Radio, always marginally profitable, is hardly faring any better. … [and] whatever profit comes out of Auto Trader and Emap will not flow into GMG's coffers, because of the debt repayments, which does not help when the national newspapers burn through £83,000 or so a day."
Buzzmachine: Great Restructuring III: The war over change
Monday, 6 April 2009, 06:06
Jeff Jarvis on the recent spate of Google-bashing from newspapers: "The assumption here is that Google owes them something because it caused change and change is hurting them. No, Google exploited change. It did what these publishers should have done. They didn’t. They’re losing and they’re looking for someone to blame – other than themselves."
Shane Richmond: The Guardian is wrong about Google
Sunday, 5 April 2009, 23:40
"In the case of newspapers, Google is simply advertising our content. If the Guardian can't make enough money out of the traffic Google sends to it why is that Google's problem? Should plumbers complain if they can’t make enough money from the business they get from the Yellow Pages?"
How-Do: Is GMG set to launch a local Guardian-branded website for Manchester? – Rumours and Conjecture
Sunday, 16 November 2008, 10:12
"Guardian Media Group appears to be researching the possibility of launching a new local website to cover the Manchester area. The site, if it comes to fruition, will be branded with the Guardian name and offer a highly focused local service looking to 'connect you with your local community.'"
Times Online: Business big shot: Carolyn McCall of Guardian Media Group
Saturday, 20 September 2008, 13:57
"Lloyds TSB said that she had been appointed a non-executive director of both Lloyds TSB Group and Lloyds TSB Bank from October 1."
