New manager for Echo

The Kimberley Echo has a new manager in the person of Scott Shinnick - a man who is no stranger to the Kimberley.

34-year-old Scott came to Kununurra in 1996 and worked in sales with the Kimberley Echo, leaving to become WAFM North West Radio's representative in Kununurra.

Scott then moved on to pursue his musical career as the base player with local band Wood n Eye, which went on the road in 1999 for a 12-months tour of WA and the NT.

When the band finally split up, Scott was in Broome so he decided to go to work for the Kuri Bay Pearl Farm, where he stayed for three years before setting up his own video productions company.

He ran this for 18 months before being drawn back to media as the north west manager for WIN Television, a position he gave up to join the Kimberley Echo.

"I'm very excited to be back in the East Kimberley and look forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones," he said on Tuesday.

Former Echo owner Andrew Mock has been working as caretaker manager since he sold the paper to WA Newspapers in April.

Andrew came to Kununurra as a seven year old when his family decided to set up a dairy and bakery in the town.

He did work experience on the paper in Year 10 and then worked for the Echo part time after leaving school, going fulltime in 1994 as an advertising salesman.

He took a six months break to tour Australia before being brought back as a fill in manager, a position that became permanent.

In 2002 he bought the paper from his family.

Andrew, his wife Seerung and daughters Ariya and Marisah are now moving to New Zealand for a 'cooler change' but they will retain their ties with Kununurra through business and friends.