Attorney general drops case against Gannett Co.
Posted by Simon Day on May 28, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Late Tuesday the Arizona attorney general's office withdrew an antitrust lawsuit against the shuttering of the Tucson Citizen by Gannett Co., the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
The complaint was dismissed from the federal court voluntarily and without prejudice, meaning the right to re-file the case at a later date is retained.
The complaint was dismissed from the federal court voluntarily and without prejudice, meaning the right to re-file the case at a later date is retained.
The Tucson Citizen published the last issue of its 138 year career on May 16, but has retained its Website and an editorial presence in the Arizona Daily Star.
The lawsuit filed on May 15 by Attorney General Terry Goddard, claimed Gannett Co. had conspired with Lee Enterprises Inc., owner of the Arizona Daily Star, in an attempt to reduce competition, leaving the Star as the only daily newspaper, for both parties financial gain.
The two companies and their newspapers were part of a joint operating agreement, available to newspapers under the Newspaper Preservation Act. This allowed the Citizen and Daily Star to share printing and non-editorial actions through the co-owned Tucson Newspapers Inc.
"At this point, it was highly unlikely that any outcome of the litigation could lead to the reopening of the Tucson Citizen, elimination of anticompetitive activity or a re-establishment of competitive voices in the Tucson newspaper market," Anne Hilby, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Terry Goddard, said Wednesday.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Raner Collins refused to issue an order forcing Gannett to resume publishing the Citizen.
The lawsuit filed on May 15 by Attorney General Terry Goddard, claimed Gannett Co. had conspired with Lee Enterprises Inc., owner of the Arizona Daily Star, in an attempt to reduce competition, leaving the Star as the only daily newspaper, for both parties financial gain.
The two companies and their newspapers were part of a joint operating agreement, available to newspapers under the Newspaper Preservation Act. This allowed the Citizen and Daily Star to share printing and non-editorial actions through the co-owned Tucson Newspapers Inc.
"At this point, it was highly unlikely that any outcome of the litigation could lead to the reopening of the Tucson Citizen, elimination of anticompetitive activity or a re-establishment of competitive voices in the Tucson newspaper market," Anne Hilby, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Terry Goddard, said Wednesday.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Raner Collins refused to issue an order forcing Gannett to resume publishing the Citizen.
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