Changes at New Times Corp

Accra (Greater Accra), 30th July 99 -

The Board of Directors of the New Times Corporation on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Mr Tom Dorkenoo, as Editor of the Ghanaian Times.

It also appointed Mr Robert Benstil as Deputy Editor of the paper. Both men were with the sister paper the Weekly Spectator.

The appointments are part of the decision of Board of Directors to reshuffle editors of the corporation's newspapers, according to a statement issued in Accra.

The statement said the confirmation was announced at the consultative meeting with the Local Union of TUC and the senior staff association.

It said the appointments takes effect from August one and "are part of a general restructuring of the Corporation by the board of directors to enhance efficiency and profitability of the Corporation and give it a new image."

It said Mr Wisdom Owusu Sarpong, acting editor of Ghanaian Times, moves to the Weekly Spectator as Editor while Mr Abi George, chief sub-editor of the Times has been appointed Deputy Editor of the Spectator.

The Editor for the proposed Evening News is Mr Francis Assuah while Mr Gayheart Edem Mensah is Deputy Editor.

Mr Christian Abbew becomes Group Sports Editor and Editor Sporting Times while Mr Emmanuel Amponsah becomes the Deputy Editor.

The Board also appointed Mrs Elizabeth Nunoo as the Group Editorial Manager.

A couple of stories written in the Ghanaian Times said the staff have rejected the appointments and asked the Board to withdraw them.

They said the acting editor of the Ghanaian Times is giving the paper a new image while some former staff who left when the going was tough were now being brought back in senior positions.

GRi