THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503250347
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
James K. Batten stepped down Friday as chief executive of Knight-Ridder, and the board of directors elected P. Anthony Ridder as his successor.
Batten, 59, who is battling brain cancer, will remain as chairman of Knight-Ridder, publisher of 29 daily newspapers. Ridder, 54, company president, immediately assumed his duties as CEO.
``It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of Jim Batten,'' Ridder said. ``He is one of the most visionary leaders in American journalism today, and he is a primary architect of the forward-looking, customer-conscious company that Knight-Ridder is.''
Batten, a native of Holland, Va., started as a reporter for the company's Charlotte Observer newspaper in North Carolina and held a series of editorial and management positions as he rose to the top of Knight-Ridder.
He has been a Washington correspondent and executive editor of the Observer. He became a vice president of Knight-Ridder in 1975, president in 1982, chief executive officer in 1988 and chairman in 1989.
Batten, who had a malignant brain tumor removed July 1, has been receiving chemotherapy treatments and was hospitalized for three days this week to treat a blood clot in his leg.
``I continue to hope that in due time that treatment will bring me back to full physical and professional strength,'' said Batten.
``However, I have reluctantly concluded that the degree of recovery needed to handle my current job at the level required by the company in this time of substantial change is not in prospect soon enough for me to conscientiously continue . . .'' he said. by CNB