Axel Springer, the German-based media group considered a leading contender in the auction of the Telegraph and Spectator titles, has cast doubt over whether it will submit a bid in the process to find a new owner for the influential titles.
Its longstanding chief executive, Mathias Döpfner, who led the owner of the daily Die Welt and the tabloid Bild when the business was trumped by a blockbuster £665m offer for the Telegraph by the Barclay brothers in 2004, has said Axel Springer is focused on a digital-only strategy.
