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'Do you like my new corporate design?' he asked jovially. He hoped they did. His daughter's two- woman partnership had been given the contract - its first-for devising the company's new name and corporate design, and he was determined that she be given almost as much attention as himself.
You will find waiting for you at the door a document which gives the full details of the offer and agreement. So, questions please!'
There was an excited hum from the audience, and a forest of hands shot up to catch his eye.
'I suppose to be fair I ought to take the first question from someone who will not be working for the group,' jested Landless. 'Now, can we find anyone here who won't be part of the new team?' With theatrical exaggeration he shielded his eyes from the bright lights and searched the audience for a suitable victim, and they all laughed at his cheek..
'Mr Landless,' shouted the business editor of the Sunday Times. The Government have made it very clear in recent years that they feel the British newspaper industry is already concentrated into too few hands, and that they would use their powers under the monopolies and mergers legislation to prevent any further consolidation. How on earth do you expect to get the necessary Government approval for this deal?'
There was a strong murmur of assent to the question from around the room. The Government had made loud if imprecise noises during the election about their commitment to increasing industrial competition.
'An excellent point' Landless spread his arms wide as if to hug the question to his chest and slowly throttle it to death.
You are right, the Government will need to take a view on the matter. And I hope they will be sufficiently wise and visionary to realise that the operation we are putting together, far from jeopardising the British newspaper industry, is vital to its continuing success. Newspapers are just part of the worldwide information industry, which is growing and changing every day. You all know that. Five years ago you all worked in Fleet Street with old typewriters and printing presses which should have been scrapped when the Kaiser surrendered. Today the industry is modernised, decentralised, computerised. Yet still it must keep changing. It has more competition, from satellite television, local radio, breakfast TV and the rest'
'Shame!' cried a voice within the audience, and they laughed nostalgically about the cosy days of Fleet Street and El Vino's wine bar, and the prolonged printers' strikes and disputes which allowed them weeks or even months off to write books or build boats and dream dreams while still on full pay. But they all recognised the inescapable truth in what Landless was saying.
In ten years' time more and more people will be demanding information twenty-four hours a day, from all parts of the world. Fewer and fewer of them will be getting that information from newspapers which arrive hours after the news has occurred and which covers them in filthy printing ink. If we are to survive in business we must no longer think of ourselves as parochial newspaper men, but as suppliers of information on a worldwide basis. So our new group, "TEN", will not just be a traditional newspaper business but will be grown into the world's leading supplier of information to business and homes around the world, whether they want that information printed, televised, computerised or sung by canaries. And to do that we .need the size, the muscle and the resources which only a large group such as "TEN" can provide.'
He gestured generously towards the questioner.
'And as you so rightly point out, we also need the
Government's permission. So the Government have a choice. They can take the narrow view, prohibit the merger and preside over the decline of the British newspaper industry, which will be dead within ten years as the Americans, Japanese and even Australians take over. Or they can be responsible and visionary, and care about the jobs which exist and which can be created in the industry, and think not about narrow British competition but about the much broader international competition which we need to take on and beat if we are to survive. If they do that, they will allow us to build the biggest and finest information service in the world, based right here in Britain'.
A blitz of flash guns greeted him as he sat back in his chair, the carefully rehearsed appeal finished while the journalists who still took shorthand scribbled furiously to catch up with him. The questioner turned to his neighbour.
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