ITV scraps three regional director posts in management restructure

Three regional news director posts have been dropped at ITV as part of a restructure of its senior management team.

The changes, part of an ongoing review of the broadcaster's news operations, will see current director of ITV Wales, Granada and Central Mike Blair appointed editor of current affairs. Neil Thompson, director of ITV Anglia, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees & Border, will be taking up a project based role as managing editor of the ITV News transformation programme.

Mark Southgate, who is currently director of ITV Meridian, London, West & West Country, will be stepping down from his role and leaving ITV at the end of April, and Guy Phillips, currently director of ITV news group projects, will become editor of ITV Regional News.

Other changes announced within the new structure include the news that Ian Squires, controller of ITV regions and current affairs will become controller of news operations and current affairs, developing output across all platforms.

ITV has also appointed Sky News' head of digital Julian March as a new head of digital media for ITV News & Sport.

It was also announced today that the Daybreak news team will be merged with ITV News. In a statement Michael Jermey, director of news, current affairs and sport at ITV, said the ambition was to "create one ITV News".

"The news review, which is a key part of ITV's five-year Transformation Plan, is making good progress and although it is not yet complete there are some initial conclusions that we are able to announce today.

"ITV viewers value our news coverage and we remain committed to high quality news with continued investment in our journalism.  

"We want to continue to improve what we do, both through all the parts of ITV News working together more closely than ever before and through new investment in the areas that need greater resource. This will include a greatly increased commitment to our news services online and on digital platforms, renewed focus on coverage of the year's big stories, enhancements to our specialist journalism, and investment in training and staff development."

Deborah Turness will remain editor of ITV network news and will also oversee ITV's national and international coverage, provided by ITN, working closely with Jonathan Munro, deputy editor and director of newsgathering for ITV News.

Last week Journalism.co.uk reported that editor-in-chief of ITV News David Mannion will be stepping down from his role to become a special advisor to the chief executive of ITN John Hardie.

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