A NEW chief executive has been appointed to the media company which owns The Evening Star.

A NEW chief executive has been appointed to the media company which owns The Evening Star.

Archant, which also publishes the East Anglian Daily Times and newspapers and magazines across the country, announced that Adrian Jeakings will be the new man in the top job.

He will replace the former chief executive, John Fry, who has resigned to join another newspaper company, Johnston Press, as its new chief executive.

Mr Jeakings, 49, who is currently group finance director at Archant, will take up his new role on November 1.

Also promoted is Brian McCarthy who will replace Mr Jeakings as Archant's group finance director.

Mr McCarthy, 45, has been finance director of Archant Regional, the company's newspaper publishing division, since 2004.

Richard Jewson, chairman of Archant, said: “Archant is fortunate to have extremely able management, well capable of continuing to develop the business. Adrian is ideally placed and qualified to take on the role of chief executive.

“Both Adrian and Brian have contributed a great deal to our success and it is a tribute to John Fry that he has created such a strong management team.”