AS Les Snowdon departs Scotland on Sunday for the Daily Mail, the betting has started already on who will fill the vacant editor's chair.
My former Daily Record colleagues Tom Little and Kenny Farquharson have both been hotly tipped, and rightly so.
Both are hugely impressive figures and would do well.
But everybody is assuming that Johnston Press will, in fact, look to replace Snowdon.
After all it is only two months since Edinburgh Evening News editor John McLellan was asked to compile a report on how efficiencies could be made across the group, of which we have heard very little.
Of course since then heads of departments have been ordered to slash fees paid to contributers and columnists by up to half, jobs have been frozen and a new chief executive installed.
Look south and to Ireland, and you discover plans to centralise some editorial functions and cut jobs. Look to its rivals in the west at The Herald and Times Group and to Trinity Mirror, and you see a theme emerging.
Then add in a touch of speculation from Roy Greenslade over at Media Guardian about the consistent rumour of a possible sale – denials or not – and wonder again if it is a group that hopes to employ three highly paid editors.
Or if a wholesale restructuring may be on the cards, changing the face of news in Edinburgh forever, if not for better.
Here's hoping JP proves us wrong and appoints a new editor quickly, recruiting from the talented ranks at its disposal.
Because the longer the vacancy remains open, the less reason they will have to fill it.
* Shares opened up at 8.18p at first trading this morning following news KPMG have been appointed to restructure debt.
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