Some 40 senior officials at regional newspaper Wegener group have demanded that David Montgomery, head of UK publishing group Mecom and Wegener’s owner, give written details of his plans for the Dutch group.

Yesterday it emerged that Wegener is embroiled in a management crisis following the surprise departure of CEO Joop Munsterman on Monday. The only other member of the management board, Wil Cornelisse, registered as sick on Monday and Sylvia Böcker, who oversaw the company’s digital publishing strategy has also quit, the Financieele Dagblad says.
Senior staff want the supervisory board to given them a written commitment on the company’s future, the paper says. Wegener, which publishes the Gelderlander, BN/De Stem and lots of local freesheets, has been hit hard by the downturn in advertising.
The FD says there are real fears the group may cease to exist. Directors and editors in chief feel the group is being drained to fuel Mecom’s ambitions elsewhere and that there is too much emphasis on online products.
Montgomery himself is leaving the group in January, after a conflict with shareholders. For more on this, click here