—Johnston Press: Former Archant CEO John Fry takes the same position at rival Johnston Press today as planned, replacing outgoing Tim Bowdler, who has become Press Association’s non-executive chair. Bowdler admitted to Times Online: “I can’t deny I have presided over a considerable loss of value. There is a gloom that newspapers will cease to exist. That is utterly wrong. There is still great interest in the local community. Newspapers need to become local portals with new revenue streams.”  Johnston has about 323 websites.

—Endemol: The TV group is adding Martha Brass, former head of TV at Simon Fuller’s Pop Idol group 19 Entertainment, as its deputy chief operating officer. Brass was also EVP at 19 between 2004 and 2008 and became commercial director at CPH Group last year; she had also been COO for FremantleMedia in north America. She will work to Endemol COO Mario Bassetti.

—Channel 4 Former C4 news managing editor and ITN COO Guy Kerr is joining government info portal Directgov as publishing director, responsible for running output across web, mobile and TV. Via Guardian.co.uk.