MacKenzie joins Mirror Group board

MIRROR Group Newspapers is losing Murdoch MacLennan, managing director of the group's Scottish newspapers, but gaining Kelvin MacKenzie, the former editor of the Sun and briefly managing director of the BSkyB network, writes Gail Counsell.

Mr MacLennan, who will leave the group, which publishes the Scottish Daily Record, at the end of December, is joining the rival Daily Mail and London Evening Standard group, Associated Newspapers as managing director.

Mr MacKenzie becomes an executive director of MGN in charge of its television interests. Two weeks ago the group bought nearly 15 per cent of Scottish Television, Scotland's largest independent broadcaster. It has since increased its stake to almost 20 per cent, the maximum permitted under cross- media ownership rules.

In addition, MGN has recently recruited Janet Street-Porter, head of BBC Television's independent entertainment production, to run its cable television interests.

MGN, which has 28 per cent of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday, is planning to enter the cable television market in partnership with a number of US cable and telecoms companies. The result, Live TV, a new cable channel, is due to launch in 1995.