New leader set to take helm of FP Newspapers Inc.

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This article was published 12/07/2022 (1213 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new leader will helm the Free Press and its sister papers starting this month.

Mike Power is set to begin as FP Newspapers Inc.’s president and CEO July 25. He replaces both Bob Silver, the company’s president and CEO, and Bob Cox, the publisher.

The two are stepping down from their roles; Cox announced his plan to do so last November.

“I have big shoes to fill,” said Power, who’s been a publisher since 1998.

Power, 56, comes from Postmedia’s Atlantic Canada division, where he held the role of vice-president of editorial and sales operations.

The news giant bought Brunswick News Inc. — the paper Power had led as publisher — in March, and he transitioned to the Postmedia role.

Power has been publisher for the Toronto Sun and the Barrie Examiner, among others.

“The Free Press has a tradition of quality journalism, and that’s at the heart of what we do,” Power said. “I will ensure that we continue on this path.”

He said he’d focused on growing digital subscriptions in his past workplaces.

“I see opportunity,” he said of FP Newspapers Inc. “On the business side, we’re going to look at, ‘What are other opportunities for new revenue streams?’”

Silver, 72, will continue to chair FP Newspaper Inc.’s board of directors.

“The Free Press deserves a more active and hands-on president,” Silver said. “I have not dedicated the time that I think the Free Press deserves.”

Age also factors into his decision, he said.

Silver co-owns the newspaper company with Ron Stern. Silver is president of Western Glove Works, which owns Silver Jeans, and he volunteers on a number of boards, including the Pan Am Clinic Foundation, CentrePort Canada and the University of Winnipeg Foundation.

“That’s after cutting back,” Silver noted.

Traditional media face a variety of challenges — namely adapting to the way people consume information — and a full-time leader is necessary, Silver said.

“The Free Press management has been very, very good at adapting to the changes that are needed in this media business,” he said. “Many other newspapers have gutted their content to survive, and that is not the (route) that the Free Press has taken.”

The greatest challenge for the business going forward will be to deliver content in the form consumers want, in an increasingly digital age.

“It’s information first — it’s not digital first or print first,” Silver said. “It’s understanding your customer.”

Power is absorbing the publisher’s responsibilities while acting as president and CEO. It’s not due to cost-cutting, Silver said.

The board chose Power because “he is a forward thinker who understands all of these issues… the importance of content, the importance of local information, the importance of maintaining a printed product as long as possible,” Silver said.

“We’re not going to do it like some of our competitors… by gutting the company,” he said. “We’re going to invest where it makes sense, and we’re going to grow where it makes sense.”

Cox, 61, will sideline as an adviser as Power adjusts.

“I feel I had a really good run, and I’m happy about that,” Cox said.

He was publisher for nearly 15 years — the second-longest run in the 150-year history of the Free Press. During his tenure, the readership has shifted from print-only to majority digital.

“We’ve changed a lot, and we’ll continue to change (and) reach people in the way they want to be reached,” he said, adding the company has “stayed true to itself.”

Cox has held various roles with the newspaper for more than 20 years. He said he plans to do something else, though he doesn’t have concrete plans yet.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com