Buttner named new chief at Community

The Community Newspaper Group (CNG) has appointed former Herald and Weekly Times production editor Wayne Buttner as its new chief executive.

Mr Buttner, who has also worked for Leader Newspapers in Melbourne, will join CNG on April 8.

The position became vacant after former CEO Ian Thompson had his contract terminated by the company’s board in February.

In a statement from CNG, Mr Buttner said he was looking forward to using his knowledge to further grow the role and success of Community Newspapers.

Also in the CNG statement Ian Law, the chief executive of West Australian Newspapers, part-owner of CNG, said Mr Buttner had a strong track record in community newspapers.

“Wayne has the capacity to make a significant contribution to business in Perth,” he said.

Mr Buttner, 47, began his journalism career at the Bendigo Advertiser before moving onto the Northern Territory News and The Border Mail in Albury.

He spent 13 years at HWT where his roles included chief sub-editor and features editor. He edited Home Beautiful for three years and was editor-in-chief at Leader Newspapers for eight years.

News Limited Community Newspapers managing director Alasdair MacLeod said Mr Buttner had done an outstanding job at Leader Newspapers.

“Wayne has been a key member of the Leader management team which has overseen enormous growth in our business,” he said.

“The number of our competitors in the Melbourne market has doubled in those eight years but Leader has remained the clear market leader.”

Mr Law, acting CNG chief executive Mark Shelton and Mr Buttner were contacted for further comment but either refused to comment or did not return phone calls before WA Business News went to press.

CNG made about $7 million for 2003-04 and is understood to be on track to return earnings to its shareholders News Limited and WANH of $12 million in 2004-05.

CNG is jointly owned by News Limited and West Australian Newspapers Limited.

It publishes 16 newspapers covering the Perth area from Two Rocks and Yanchep in the north, south to the city of Mandurah and east to Northam, Toodyay and York.