Tribune Names New Publishers

Tribune (TRB Quote) replaced the publishers of its Newsday and Hoy newspapers amid a circulation-overstatement scandal.

The Chicago-based publisher said Timothy Knight would replace Raymond Jansen as publisher of suburban New York daily Newsday. Knight, who already is operating chief at the paper, will take his new post Aug. 15. Jansen, who has been Newsday publisher since 1994, will retire.

"In mid-August, I will retire as Newsday publisher," Jansen wrote in a letter to Newsday staff. "I had planned on leaving before yearend and under other circumstances I probably would have done that. But, understanding what our management has to do to repair the damage to our circulation credibility, it became apparent that my departure date should be sooner than anticipated."

Tribune also named Digby Solomon Diez interim publisher of Hoy. He succeeds Louis Sito, who has served as publisher of Hoy since 1998 and is retiring.

"I am proud of the growth of Hoy and my long association with it and the service we have provided to the Hispanic community," said Sito. "But in view of Hoy's recent circulation issues, I do not want to be a distraction to the great work being done at the newspaper on a daily basis. It is time for me to move on."

The moves come on the heels of the company's discovery that recent circulation figures were overstated at the papers. Last week, the papers were rebuked by the industry's Audit Board of Circulations. Tribune and another admitted circulation overstater, Hollinger (HLR Quote) of Toronto, have been sued by advertisers who claim they paid inflated rates as a result of the overstatements.

On Monday, Tribune rose 21 cents to $42.44.