Tribune Cuts Circulation at New York Newspapers
Tribune Co.'s Tribune Publishing division announced Friday another circulation cut at two New York-area newspapers it owns that are involved in a scandal over inflating circulation numbers.The revised circulation figures for Tribune's Spanish daily Hoy and Long Island, NY-based Newsday will result in a charge of $45 million to $60 million. The updated numbers are the result of ongoing audits by Chicago-based Tribune and the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Tribune is part of a troika including Hollinger International Inc. and Belo Corp. whose newspapers overstated previous circulation figures, thus angering advertisers and the ABC.
Jack Fuller, president of Tribune Publishing, blamed the circulation fiasco on poor documentation, records mismanagement and programs that deliberately violated company policies and ABC regulations.
"Since these discoveries, the publishers at both newspapers have left the company, we have changed the circulation management at both newspapers and implemented tougher circulation controls," Fuller said in a statement. "In addition, the publisher, chief financial officer and vice president of circulation at all of our newspapers must now certify to Tribune on a quarterly basis as to the accuracy of their newspaper's circulation and that ABC guidelines and Tribune policies have been followed."
