Westernmail'necho!

It's the end of an era. Western Mail & Echo Ltd will shortly be no more. For those of us of a certain age, the very name conjures up images of newspaper sellers in flat caps on the streets of Cardiff.

I think it was Echo legend Dan O'Neill who once suggested the two papers made up one name - westernmail'necho - as hoarsely yelled by those sellers behind their stands around the capital city.

Now the company is to rebrand itself Media Wales Ltd, a change that will be publicly adopted from October 1.

Managing director Keith Dye reminded staff today: "Our goal is to build a multi-platform media business by developing and sustaining strong positions across print and digital."

"In order to communicate this philosophy to our customers and advertising clients, we have decided to rename our business to reflect our entire product portfolio, and our aspirations for the future."

By "customers" I think he means readers although those of us who live in the multi-platform media world cannot be too sure. The company's new online presence will be http://www.mediawales.co.uk/.

Ringing Thomson House - "Western Mail and Echo - can I help you?" - will never be the same again. In fact, the company wants to rename that too and has asked staff for suggestions.

Apparently, the current favourite is Thomson House, keeping the name it was given in the days when the papers were owned by Lord Thomson.

Alternative suggestions are being considered - Owain Glyndwr House and Dragon's Eye are among two of the suggestions from staff, as is Ty Gren Jones.

Perhaps it could be named after some of the media legends to have worked there. Glyn Mathias Towers? Ty John Humphrys? Michael Buerk House? Sue Lawley Buildings?