Roger Alton interview, continued ...
Does he have particular targets for the relaunch above today's paid-for circulation of 408,000? He laughs evasively. "The Sunday market is ferocious. If I can increase circulation by one or one thousand, I'll be absolutely thrilled ... I hope it's a nice package. There are terrific people here."
Self-deprecation is classic Alton - he apologises for being a "boring" interviewee. Yet based on various reports over the past year, one might conclude that his vulnerability may be more than rhetorical. A year ago, The Mail on Sunday suggested that The Observer might be put up for sale by its owners, Guardian Media Group, impatient that it remained "a drain on resources". The Scott Trust, which appoints and fires editors, was separately reported to have summoned Alton to berate him on his editorial line on Iraq and the BBC. Furthermore, he and Rusbridger were said not to be speaking after Alton felt unfairly forced to bear the brunt of the newspaper division's cutbacks and redundancies.
"I don't know where this stuff comes from, it's nonsense, nonsense," he says dismissively. "I've never not been on talking terms with Alan. I could ring him up now. We email each other. Why, we're going out this evening to a dinner for a friend."
What of reports that last year the Scott Trust summoned him to ... "To give me a bollocking? It's not true. I could show you various emails from Liz [Forgan, chair of the trust], saying: ' Congratulations ... excellent ... really enjoyed it, etc.' You can suggest that she's pulled the wool over my eyes, but I don't think that's the case."
So the trust has never pressed him to soften his editorial line on Iraq? "There has been no attempt ever to impose a party line," he says, clearly impatient with this line of questioning. "Nobody's pulled rank on me, though as an employee of the Scott Trust, people are entitled to. I have had robust conversations with various individuals, often after several drinks, but no member of the Scott Trust has ever interfered with [my line]."
And the reports that the paper may be up for sale? "I've no idea where that came from, and I have no sense of that, the opposite in fact," he says. "I hope not. Jesus. What do you want me to say? I think the Obs is a good paper. I can't speak for other people. But if I didn't feel confident [of management support] ... why do you think they're spending this amount of money on marketing the paper, on buying these fabulous new presses?"
Reports have suggested that the paper still loses £10 million a year. "Less," Alton says. "And I hope we'll take the figure that's stated down more, now we've taken out a lot of costs, from production, staff, a bit of marketing." Does he believe that the paper can break even in the current market? "Yeah, yeah, absolutely."
His even temperament gives way to some irritation about "snitty" media columnists - though of course he has his own, often lacerating, media columnist in Peter Preston, and runs a media diary. "Last week, Peter Wilby said in the Standard that I was a tramp." More accurately, Wilby said Alton resembled one, looking "miserable and distracted". "And as for Richard Ingrams, calling me a cabbie in the Press Gazette ... [Ingrams suggested that a conversation with Alton was "perfectly pleasant at the time, but it doesn't really go anywhere".] Tell me, does it seem like I've lost interest? I'm very fond of Richard, but it's balls."
There have been suggestions that Alton may be a candidate to edit The Daily Telegraph: "It's not possible. It's inconceivable. Jesus. I think it's a very good paper, but I'm far too old to edit the Telegraph. And far too Rightwing. That's a joke."
Besides, his own paper is absorbing all his attention - though he doubts he will get much credit from the critics. "When we come out on 8 January, Wilby will be saying in your paper that the new Obs looks very disappointing. And Stephen Glover will say: 'Dire first appearance from Alton's Observer, time he retired.'
"They're such c***s, media columnists. The media world is quite a bitchy, uncharitable place."
(Evening Standard, December 21 2005)
Self-deprecation is classic Alton - he apologises for being a "boring" interviewee. Yet based on various reports over the past year, one might conclude that his vulnerability may be more than rhetorical. A year ago, The Mail on Sunday suggested that The Observer might be put up for sale by its owners, Guardian Media Group, impatient that it remained "a drain on resources". The Scott Trust, which appoints and fires editors, was separately reported to have summoned Alton to berate him on his editorial line on Iraq and the BBC. Furthermore, he and Rusbridger were said not to be speaking after Alton felt unfairly forced to bear the brunt of the newspaper division's cutbacks and redundancies.
"I don't know where this stuff comes from, it's nonsense, nonsense," he says dismissively. "I've never not been on talking terms with Alan. I could ring him up now. We email each other. Why, we're going out this evening to a dinner for a friend."
What of reports that last year the Scott Trust summoned him to ... "To give me a bollocking? It's not true. I could show you various emails from Liz [Forgan, chair of the trust], saying: ' Congratulations ... excellent ... really enjoyed it, etc.' You can suggest that she's pulled the wool over my eyes, but I don't think that's the case."
So the trust has never pressed him to soften his editorial line on Iraq? "There has been no attempt ever to impose a party line," he says, clearly impatient with this line of questioning. "Nobody's pulled rank on me, though as an employee of the Scott Trust, people are entitled to. I have had robust conversations with various individuals, often after several drinks, but no member of the Scott Trust has ever interfered with [my line]."
And the reports that the paper may be up for sale? "I've no idea where that came from, and I have no sense of that, the opposite in fact," he says. "I hope not. Jesus. What do you want me to say? I think the Obs is a good paper. I can't speak for other people. But if I didn't feel confident [of management support] ... why do you think they're spending this amount of money on marketing the paper, on buying these fabulous new presses?"
Reports have suggested that the paper still loses £10 million a year. "Less," Alton says. "And I hope we'll take the figure that's stated down more, now we've taken out a lot of costs, from production, staff, a bit of marketing." Does he believe that the paper can break even in the current market? "Yeah, yeah, absolutely."
His even temperament gives way to some irritation about "snitty" media columnists - though of course he has his own, often lacerating, media columnist in Peter Preston, and runs a media diary. "Last week, Peter Wilby said in the Standard that I was a tramp." More accurately, Wilby said Alton resembled one, looking "miserable and distracted". "And as for Richard Ingrams, calling me a cabbie in the Press Gazette ... [Ingrams suggested that a conversation with Alton was "perfectly pleasant at the time, but it doesn't really go anywhere".] Tell me, does it seem like I've lost interest? I'm very fond of Richard, but it's balls."
There have been suggestions that Alton may be a candidate to edit The Daily Telegraph: "It's not possible. It's inconceivable. Jesus. I think it's a very good paper, but I'm far too old to edit the Telegraph. And far too Rightwing. That's a joke."
Besides, his own paper is absorbing all his attention - though he doubts he will get much credit from the critics. "When we come out on 8 January, Wilby will be saying in your paper that the new Obs looks very disappointing. And Stephen Glover will say: 'Dire first appearance from Alton's Observer, time he retired.'
"They're such c***s, media columnists. The media world is quite a bitchy, uncharitable place."
(Evening Standard, December 21 2005)
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