BRIEFS

NewsInc, Dec 6, 2004

*Court agrees to hear Seattle paper's appeal: The Washington State Supreme Court said last week that it would review a lower-court ruling in the case of Hearst Communications v. The Seattle Times Co., wherein the two partners in the Seattle newspaper joint operating agreement are arguing over whether to end their partnership or not. The court will focus on the reversal by an appeals court of a ruling by State Superior Court Judge Greg Canova, in which he said that losses at the JOA in 2000 were a "force majeure" event and that they shouldn't be counted when the Times Co. attempts to invoke a codicile in the JOA that would allow it to exit the partnership should it have losses three years running. Hearst, the publisher of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, said it was "pleased" with the decision, while the Times Co., publisher of the Seattle Times, said that it believed that the appeals court would be upheld. The Times Co. also said that it would be preparing cutbacks in an attempt to "downsize and eliminate the losses."

*Youngstown strike enters third week: Almost 180 Newspaper Guild/CWA employees continued to strike Ohio's Youngstown Vindicator over the weekend. The two sides differ on a wage increase, as well as health care payments. The Guild began publishing a strike newspaper -- using non-union consulting help, non-union press work and non-union distribution, shortly after the Nov. 16 strike, while the Vindicator, a locally owned paper, requested help from a variety of independent papers in right-to-work states, including The Times-Picayune of New Orleans. The 66,487-circulation evening paper has told the Guild that it has operated in the red for the last seven years; the union on Thursday requested a look at the books. Company officials on Friday said, "we would be willing to make appropriate arrangements to have our books reviewed."

*Wal-Mart decides newspapers make a difference: The nation's leading retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville, Ga., took out full-page ads in as many as 50 markets nationwide to promote price reductions last week, following a dismal sales showing for the first days of the 2004 Christmas season. Wal-Mart, which traditionally does not advertise in newspapers, used the ads as the cornerstone to a campaign to increase store traffic, which also will include TV and radio commercials. Retail analysts said that the store chain had elected to do less promotion over Thanksgiving this year and that sales were hurt.