Eagle publisher abruptly resigns

WICHITA — William "Skip" Hidlay has resigned as president and publisher of The Wichita Eagle, the McClatchy Co. said today.

Hidlay had led The Eagle since March 2010, after a stint with the Gannett Co., where he was president and publisher of two central New Jersey newspapers.

Hidlay's resignation is effective today, and a search for his replacement will begin immediately, McClatchy officials said. Editor Sherry Chisenhall will direct the operation of the news company until a new publisher is named.

"We want to thank Skip for his many contributions during his tenure," said Bob Weil, vice president of operations for McClatchy.

In a statement, Hidlay praised the performance of Eagle employees.

"I want to thank the staff of The Wichita Eagle for its excellent work during my tenure as publisher," Hidlay said. "We have produced excellent public service journalism, expanded the audience of Kansas.com and helped local and regional businesses grow and prosper with our strong array of advertising products."

Hidlay did not disclose his immediate plans.

"But I have felt for some time that I was ready for a new challenge after 31 years in daily journalism," Hidlay said. "I want to make better use of my knowledge of strategic communications and digital journalism, my writing and editing abilities, and my talent for community leadership and marketing.