Deseret News seeks 'level playing field'

Deseret News management said Friday ongoing discussion with AT&T, owners of the Salt Lake Tribune, are intended to correct practices that have hurt the Deseret News.

L. Glen Snarr, chairman and president of the News, also reiterated that the Deseret News is not seeking in any way to edit, own or control the voice and content of the Tribune.

"Deseret News negotiations with AT&T, owner of the Salt Lake Tribune, are not to purchase the Tribune but to correct practices by the Tribune-dominated Newspaper Agency Corporation that have been harmful to the Deseret News," said Snarr.

"These practices have hampered growth of the Deseret News, thwarted a move to morning delivery and have proved detrimental in many ways to the News. What we want is a level playing field in operation of the NAC. It is difficult for any company to succeed when it is under the thumb of its competitor. Dominic Welch is not only the publisher of the Tribune but also head of the NAC.

"AT&T owns the Tribune and is joint owner of the Newspaper Agency Corporation with the Deseret News. The NAC handles printing, advertising and distribution of both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune under a Joint Operating Agreement.

"Tribune control of the NAC has prevented the Deseret News from exercising many of its rights under the JOA. The real issue which appears to have been missed in recent media coverage is not control of the editorial voice of the Tribune; it is ensuring a fair voice in management of the NAC, which presently impairs the ability of the Deseret News to operate effectively in serving its readers and advertisers."

Under the terms of the JOA, the Newspaper Agency Corp. (NAC), which is owned 50-50 by the two newspapers, handles the advertising, printing and circulation of both newspapers. The partnership has been in place since 1952.

Among other things, the talks have centered on the News' desire to go to morning delivery seven days a week — the newspaper currently publishes mornings only on weekends. The contract between the two papers expressly allows seven-day morning publication, said Jim W. Wall, Deseret News publisher.

On Thursday, the Tribune published a front-page story headlined "Tribune Seeks to Keep Paper From D-News." Broadcast, wire and national newspaper reports this week similarly suggested that the Deseret News was trying to buy and silence the Tribune.