Mirror Group And Telegraph Abandon Joint Sales House Plan

Mirror Group Newspapers and the Telegraph Group have shelved plans to create a joint advertising sales operation.

The creation of the sales house, dubbed Apollo earlier this year, would have seen ad sales for the Mirror Group’s national tabloid titles, which include the Daily Mirror, combined with those for Telegraph Group titles including the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph.

Apollo was due to be up and running by the end of this year, but both companies have blamed poor timing for abandoning the plans. Managing director of the Mirror Group, Mark Maysom, said: “During the past few months, MGN has launched a number of important strategic initiatives and we need to maintain the focus of our management effort on these.”

The Telegraph Group’s managing director of sales, Len Sanderson, added: “The timing of a project of this scale and importance is naturally critical to both parties. We continue to believe firmly in the concept of an advertising sales house for national newspapers.”

Both parties have agreed to reconsider plans for Apollo at a later stage saying they have been “delighted” with the progress made so far.

Last month the UK’s national newspapers came together to form an organisation aiming to increase their sector’s share of advertising revenue. All the national newspaper groups with the exception of the Financial Times, which has so far declined to join, are to form and fund the Newspaper Marketing Agency to market advertising space in the national press, with operations due to begin early next year (see National Newspapers Unite To Promote Ad Space).

Trinity Mirror: 020 7293 3000 www.trinity.plc.uk Telegraph Group: 020 7538 5000 www.telegraph.co.uk

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