The Huntsman family is purchasing the
Salt Lake Tribune
, Utah’s largest newspaper,
the
Tribune
reported.
The sale includes the print version, the sltrib.com online edition and the Web advertising arm, Utah Digital Services.
Digital First Media has managed the
Tribune
for hedge fund Alden Global Capital.
The
Tribune
has a longstanding joint operating agreement with the
Deseret News
, which is owned by the LDS Church. The agreement was revised in 2013, cutting the
Tribune
’s profits from shared operations in half and selling its share in printing facilities. Antitrust lawyers with the Department of Justice have investigated the new agreement, and a federal lawsuit has been brought by a group called Citizens for Two Voices, made up of former Tribune employees and community members, the article said.
Digital First executives have entered into a purchase agreement with Paul Huntsman, son of Utah industrialist/philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. and brother of 2012 presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr., the report said. Huntsman heads Huntsman Family Investments, a private equity fund. He said he had been negotiating with Digital First for 18 months, according to the report. (Source:
Salt Lake Tribune
, April 20, 2016.)
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