Director of Digital Publishing Howard Owens Leaves GateHouse

By: E&P Staff Howard Owens has left GateHouse Media as director of digital publishing. Brad Dennison, GateHouse's current vice president of news, has been tapped to fill Owens role, according to a GateHouse memo obtained from Dan Kennedy's Media Nation.

Kirk Davis, GateHouse COO, wrote to employees: "Howard did volumes to advance our digital strategy and leaves GateHouse with our deep appreciation."

Dennison's new duties include overseeing the alignment of print and online, training and support.


The memo follows:

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DATE: February 20, 2009
TO: GateHouse Media Publishers
Regional Managers
GateHouse Media News Employees
Online Operations Employees
Fairport Employees

FROM: Kirk Davis
RE: GateHouse News Division

As we adjust to the challenges confronting us, it is critically important that we remain positive and determined to emerge from this economic turmoil stronger than ever. As you know, the decisions we make must balance many needs ranging from controlling costs, maximizing our resources, evolving our print and online strategies and demonstrating to our employees that we'll move swiftly and communicate often as we navigate this recession.

Today, I'd like to outline some important changes with the aforementioned context in mind.

I'm pleased to announce an expansion of the services provided to you and our employees through the GateHouse News Division. Beginning today, Brad Dennison, VP News, will assume the additional responsibilities inherent in overseeing our online news operations and support. Brad will be incorporating Howard Owens' duties, as Howard has left the company. Howard did volumes to advance our digital strategy and leaves GateHouse with our deep appreciation.

In his expanded role, Brad will oversee and foster a stronger alignment of our print and online strategy, organizational structure, training and support. In turn, this will enable Bill Blevins to focus more on accelerating our online revenue performance, but more importantly, devote more time to strategic planning, identifying new digital opportunities and developing business models to support them. While there are many other benefits we'll realize, I'm particularly excited due to:

1.) The confidence I have in Brad and Bill, working closely with me, to bring greater clarity, responsiveness, support and service from a "field" perspective.

2.) The opportunity we have to bring greater continuity to our overall content strategy and product development on all platforms, with a premium on scalability. This will allow us to make big plays when we want, where we want. In other words, we'll benefit from simplified implementation of next-generation products en masse.

3.) Our company's ability to step back and appreciate what we've all accomplished together, but to welcome a fresh approach by bringing our vast corporate talent in online development and support together with our premiere news division and its contagious enthusiasm and culture.

4.) Our company's increased capacity as a result of these changes to make a greater commitment to long-term and strategic planning so that we can all feel increasingly inspired about where our hard work can lead us. The possibilities are endless.

As Brad and Bill meet with staff and focus on this transition, I've asked them to be prepared to share their plans with us within the next month, which will no doubt allow them to take into consideration any suggestions they receive from you, our digital staff and our outside consulting firm (FTI).

Thank you!