Johnston Press is poised to appoint John Fry, the chief executive of rival but smaller newspaper group Archant, to lead its fight against an increasingly tough trading challenge.
The Glasgow-based company, which publishes The Scotsman, the Yorkshire Post and more than 300 other titles, has been searching for a new leader since Tim Bowdler, the 61-year-old incumbent, decided earlier this year that the time was right for him to step down.
