John Witherow named acting editor of The Times as News International eyes merger

Mr Witherow has been put on leave from his job at The Sunday Times, and will take charge of the daily paper immediately, replacing James Harding who was ousted last month.

The Times’ independent directors, who met on Thursday to discuss Mr Witherow’s appointment, stopped short of handing him the editor job on a permanent basis, as had been widely expected.

Instead, they alighted on an interim measure to see if they can find a way to unite The Times and The Sunday Times into a single-seven day news operations.

News International is currently obliged to keep the two newspapers entirely separate by legal undertakings Mr Murdoch signed when he bought The Times in 1981. The Daily Telegraph disclosed last month that News International executives have sounded out Government figures to see if they can be released from the longstanding agreement.

News International chief executive Mike Darcey said in a statement that the independent directors had show a “clear understanding” of the newspapers’ “very difficult financial position” and the need to “address” the undertakings.

“A thorough assessment...will enable them to make recommendations to us and to government as to how the newspapers can be structured in order to reduce their costs and become economically viable,” he added.

The announcement had raised speculation that Mr Witherow will eventually be appointed editor in chief of the entire operation, rather than just editor of The Times.

His former deputy Martin Ivens has been made acting editor of The Sunday Times.