ALLBRITTON RESIGNS AS PUBLISHER OF THE WASHINGTON STAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01314R000300400003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 26, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 31, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

ART IMP APP
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31 HAY 1978
JOE LALLBRITTONy
. x " STATEMENT BY,.-.-,..
.JOE L.AW3R17TQN .
Some.fot;ir years ago.Mrs..Alr
britton and I came to Washington=
with the stated purpose.of keep--.,.
-ing the Nation's Capital- a. com? '
petitive,- two-newspa er,.:city-.?
With the purchase. of .The.Wash-
ingtone Star. b7- Time - Incorpo-
rated:ahd.c6 siderin :t a superb
quality of-IMe Washington Star;,
we feel ourrori8inal purpose has..
been accorstplis? ed. The Federal :.
Cornrttunicatlons Commission,
which granted, us the license to.-
operate. Channela,7,. has adoppted -
rules that. srould'require a.-deci::-
? sion on my part as. to whether or-*
not I' will continue as- 'a licensee=
of-Channel- 7 or-as publisher-ot`?
The Washington Star. I. have-
always. been in total compliance;-
-.with the FCC rules and do not-in"
tend tor be in.-noncompliance:.. I,,-
therefore, have decided, effec
? five- at they end of this business.
day and with the consent of Timer'-.
Incorporated; to. resign as pub-.-
- Usher and chief 'e7tecutiye officer -
and director o. -TheWashingtoiz--
l
l
e t
shou
d ti
d
o this oppori
tunity to thank. lie citizens oft-the:.
zgreater.Washington area and-the".::
.-responsible--government officials:
=fo -the--support, gig -to us.F:
especisil iswant' to- thank
rny-
,
friends : and` associates at The: :
their- taaxin%urn . effort that T ie: -
Star.is and-will continue to be an_
sonal regrets, of course, but watt::
full pride in what all of us have
been able to accomplish here at
The Star.
STAT
By John'Holusbat -
resignation today as publisher of there is ""a.certaint optimum cir-
The Washington Star_....., . ?
Allbritton said he was taking
the action- to stay 'M. compliance
with- Federal Communications , ?. , i He, said that circulation would
Commission rules ..on.;. cross
ownership of newspapers,' and
broadcast stations. in the same
market. Allbritton owns WJLA,
Channel 7.
Allbritton has{ served as pub.
lisher'of-The Star since he. sold it
to Time in February At the time
Allbritton said he had previously
planned to retain ownership of
the, newspaper and sell WJLA.
Hoever, he said an FCC ruling
-.left a cloud over the status of the
...,television station.
ALLBRITTON SAID in a state-
ment the FCC "has adopted rules
that would. require% a- decision on
my- part as to whether, or not I
_ will -contiaue:as a: licensee of.
Channel 7 or as.publisher of The
'"At a:press.coaferenca today;
Allbritton explained the timing of
his. move by pointirig;out'th_at:the
I ; applicalioti'ta renew. WJLA's Ii;
(~ censer is_ due tomorrow: - 'I
?
.the filing," he explained.
He described the outlook for.
the newspaper..as;"superb:
republic`s-capitat_-U. nowsafe=
with twonewspaper&" :. - '` ;-
,~--Hesaid The Star is~currently:
profitable, but declined to predict
cuIation for an.afterrioon news-.I
'
'
paper
.
n.d? that the circulation..,
figures had begun to climb again.. I
._ ?.be about 350,000,a day by Septeni
berm By next year, he added, cir-
culation should.be up to 375,000,
-_.,which he-characterized as the.
optimum level, z
ALLBRIT`l'ON AGREED-wffttt suggestiotts?rhat'
he.had'-approximately doubled.his $65 -mill}an-in.
vestment in,-the newspaper'?and?its broztdcast
properties s :.? ,_ _ ri::.:~. a;'~
' m not at all unhappy; with the financia, ar-
rangements;"tie coma ented. ?: ? ? .? =~. , ~ . t.;=.. ; :x ~.: ;...
He-described that original purehau.as:a "fair'.;
and adequate offer and noted: that the :rapid in-'
crease in the value of the, propert"es came after
ABC surged to the top ofthe:television ratings and
the losses at the newspaper- were stemmed.
However he said the -newspaper is' "not getting
the advertising 'supparrt this superb.. product
:;merits."" He'said The Star has about 30 Percent'of
:the advertising in. the Washington market acid said.
=that "it really should be 44 percent to be fair." '
"'I'd like to'urgge the::aducrtisersrto give. it
'.another look," he said.
Allbritton said his 'decision to.resign was .aiatile
yesterday on the advice of his lawyers. r " `
`i ?: Time.spokesrnan.Wilson said the-resignation
came earlier than, let's say; we had hoped:" die
said it was. no surprise, adding that `"we:.alieys
knew it was. a possibility that Mr. Allbritton would
...have to leave because of the television. problem.
We regret it very much -'. He is a very able per-
;sort and we-were delighted to get him as publisher
and we're sorry to see him go."
DURING:HIS less than . four months as an-em-
. z,. A'spokesman for..Time Inc., Tployee of Time, Allbritton said hehad never drawn
whichowns The Star, said James ;~a:salary. "I' just never signed -up to draw:.a. pay
R:-Shepley, .-chairman of the '.'ceCk? I Just don't think-about things like that.'-=,
newspaper and president of Time I;. - With his resignation as publisher, he epds a four-
; `U -m overall:- charge" of the year association with the. newspaper that began as
.newspaper.. Donald M.. Wilson,
-a limited investment,.
;;vice- president: for corporate and -In July 1974 Allbritton bought a -minority;interest
public affairs 'at Time, said, "'I'm in: The Star's parent company, Washington Star
:surer there -will be. -a :publisher, ,..Communications, and gained, complete control of
but I'm not sure who it will be at the newspapers operations.
this tizrte:". ~3.i+t' : rr>?~ ?o .1; +f a ?':` -=At the time the newspaper s: in financial diffi.
~.culty, with losses mounting to as much as. Si mil-
?-lien in some months y r . .
Approved For Release 2004/09/28 : CIA-RDP88-01314R000300400003-6
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