Owners Of Philadelphia Inquirer Headed To Court
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- A power struggle among the owners of the Philadelphia Inquirer will spill out of the newsroom and into a courtroom.
Two of the Inquirer's owners are suing its parent company, Interstate General Media, and its publisher, Bob Hall.
When Bill Marimow, the former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, was let go (see previous story), rumors began circulating that he was shown the door because he would neither fire nor demote six senior editors.
Now, a lawsuit has been filed by Gerry Lenfest, the chairman of the Inquirer's parent company, and another owner, Lewis Katz.
The lawsuit was filed against both Interstate General Media and publisher Bob Hall.
Lenfest and Katz claim that Hall "lacked the authority" to fire Marimow, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner during his reporting days.
Court papers filed by Lenfest and Katz imply but do not name another owner, George Norcross, as having played a role in all of this.
Norcross and Katz formed a two-person management committee that would pass judgment on this kind of decision.
According to court papers, Katz had "specifically told Hall that he would not approve the firing of Marimow."
Hall has reportedly said he had philosophical differences with Marimow. Hall did not immediately return a request for comment.
