Mark Rix, managing director of MEN Media Sales has been promoted to managing director of GMG Regional Media’s new Manchester operating company MEN Media.
Simon Toft, previously deputy MD of MEN Media Sales has been appointed commercial director at MEN Media.
MEN Media assumes responsibility for all of GMG’s Manchester operations excluding its two, soon-to-be-three Manchester radio stations.
The company encompasses the Manchester Evening news, Channel M, MEN online, over 20 weekly papers and a number of specialist print and web titles. In total almost 900 staff work for MEN Media across the conurbation.
Rix
Rix, 43, began his career with the Royal Navy before emigrating to South Africa where he worked in a gold mine for two years.
At 20 he returned to the UK and joined what was United Provincial newspapers as a sales rep in Wigan. In 1986 he joined the MEN as a sales rep.
In 1991 he moved over to Leeds to become the Yorkshire Post’s ad sales manager before being tempted back by the MEN in 1994 to run its recently launched pink business pages.
In 1997 he became the paper’s ad director and when Mark Dodson was appointed chief executive of GMG Regional Media in 2005, Rix became MD of MEN Media Sales.
Rix told How-Do that the job is “a constant challenge but you just need to look around Manchester city centre to see opportunities abound everywhere.
“Our strategy is based on diversification. Look at our track record over the past two to three years and you’ll see we’re not afraid to try new things.”
Digital and broadcasting are high on his agenda and he is particularly pleased with the progress he believes Channel M is making. In stark contrast to many pundits’ view that Channel M’s viewers can be counted on one hand, Rix cites independent research from Ipsos MORI and 320,000 viewers a week.
He won’t be drawn on the relationship with GMG Radio’s Manchester franchises beyond saying they compete but will consider each other’s positions should advertisers want extra coverage of the conurbation.
Of the imminent arrival into Manchester of Crain’s, the US’ most successful publisher of city business newspapers, Rix simply states that if he were an independent observer he’d “look at the experiences of recent launches and that would temper his enthusiasm and interest.”Something to add? Then leave a comment below or email us now.
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