Following up on our earlier story on this topic, we learn this morning from The Standard-Examiner, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News that "[t]he Deseret News’ top managers and The Salt Lake Tribune’s corporate owners are asking a federal judge to reject claims that a new business arrangement between Utah’s two largest newspapers violates the law and should be undone. U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups has scheduled a July 21 hearing on the lawsuit, filed last month by a nonprofit group called Citizens for Two Voices (also known as the Utah Newspaper Project)":
- Newspapers ask to dismiss lawsuit over agreement
- Deseret News, Tribune bosses urge judge to toss lawsuit
- Kearns-Tribune, Deseret News ask judge to toss antitrust lawsuit
"Claims that the new JOA is ultimately intended to put The Tribune out of business are baseless, [appellants] have [affimatively] contended, saying there are no plans to shut down the paper — 'not this week, this month, this year, or ever'"
Our take? This patently frivolous (but well-meaning) lawsuit will be "dumped" before the end of the month.
Comments, anyone?