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Jill Atwood ReportingThe battle for the ownership of the Salt Lake Tribune flared up again today with a decision from a federal court judge.
That decision may put the paper back in the hands of the original owners, but for a hefty price.
The big question right now is whether or not the McCarthey’s have the money.
The appraisal price is 350 million dollars. But the McCarthey family is challenging that number, they point out the Tribune was sold for 200 million dollars just two years ago.
It's been a complicated back and forth battle over the sale of the paper. First it went from the McCarthey's to AT&T, which sold it to Media News, based in Denver. The McCarthey's argued they had the right to buy the paper back, and today Judge Ted Stewart's ruling cleared the way for a sale.
The Tribune's current publisher, Dean Singleton said today there's no point in discussing whether he will sell the paper back to the McCarthey's, until the McCarthey's show him the money.
Phil McCarthey says money is one issue -- so is the integrity of Utah's largest newspaper.
Phil McCarthey/Salt Lake Tribune Publishing: "I think it needs to return to its roots and the independent voice of Salt Lake City and all of Utah. We have a publisher who doesn't live in this community. Now we have a new editor who again doesn't understand this community."
Singleton is obviously in disagreement, and can decide not to sell the paper back even if the McCarthey's do come up with the money. If that happens this case will go to a jury sometime in November.
