JPIMedia, a newly-formed company owned by bondholders of Johnston Press, has acquired the group after the publisher put itself into administration. Johnston Press, which owns papers including the i, The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post, had been looking to refinance £220m of debt due to be repaid in June next year.
As part of the transaction, the bondholders have agreed to reduce the level of senior secured debt by £135m (more than 60%), from £220m to £85m, with extended debt maturity to December 2023. Additionally, the bondholders have provided £35m of additional funding for the business.
David King, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Group, becomes Chief Executive of JPIMedia. He said, “The sale of the business to JPIMedia is an important one for the Johnston Press businesses as it ensures that operations can continue as normal, with employees’ rights maintained, suppliers paid, and newspapers printed. We will focus on ensuring the group’s titles continue to publish the high-quality journalism we are known for and which has never been more important. I look forward to working with JPIMedia to assess and implement the opportunities available to us in the future, underpinned by a stronger balance sheet.”
UK, Edinburgh
Related articles:
- Iliffe Media to acquire 13 newspaper titles from Johnston Press Posted on December 19, 2016
- Local World to acquire the regional publishing assets of Northcliffe and Iliffe Posted on November 21, 2012
- Johnston Press completes the acquisition of i Posted on April 11, 2016
- Johnston Press to acquire i Posted on February 12, 2016
- Johnston Press sells its Irish titles to Iconic Press Posted on April 1, 2014
Fusion Corporate Partners 
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