BUSINESS BRIEFS
McClatchy hopes to find a buyer for Miami Herald
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The McClatchy Co. has approached potential buyers to sell the Miami Herald, one of its most prestigious properties, the New York Times reported over the weekend.
McClatchy, the nation's third-largest newspaper chain, is courting potential buyers to unload one of its largest assets as it struggles with debt and advertising losses, the Times said in a report published on its Web site, citing anonymous people briefed on McClatchy's plans.
The people cited, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to report on any talks, were not aware of any major offers, however, the newspaper said. The people said the Herald generates a slim operating margin at a time when few investors are interested in buying newspapers.
McClatchy, headquartered in Sacramento, acquired the Herald in 2006 as part of a $4.5 billion purchase of Knight Ridder. Much of its cash flow is used to pay off that debt, the Times said.
IRISH PORK BEING TAKEN OFF SHELVES
LONDON — Shops and supermarkets in Ireland and elsewhere were clearing their shelves of bacon, sausages and ham yesterday after authorities announced some Irish pork products had been tainted with a chemical linked to cancer.
Ireland's departments of Health and Agriculture on Saturday announced the discovery of dioxins in pigs and pig feed at 80 to 200 times the safety limit. Health officials said the recall of all pig products produced since Sept. 1 was precautionary.
Yesterday, the crisis spread to the U.K. as the government of Northern Ireland announced that nine farms in the province had used the same tainted pig feed.
Tim Cullinan, an official with the Irish Farmers Association and a pig farmer, told Irish state radio RTE he believed authorities had identified the source of the contamination and hoped to get fresh pork back on the shelves within days.
STOCK EXCHANGE MERGER DENIED
BERLIN — Deutsche Boerse disputed rumors that it might join with NYSE Euronext to create the world's leading stock exchange, issuing a statement yesterday flatly declaring it had nothing to report.
The remarks from the Frankfurt, Germany-based owner of the German stock exchange followed a report in the leading German weekly, Der Spiegel, that talks on a merger were under way. Deutsche Boerse said that even if talks had taken place, "they ended without any results."
Der Spiegel's advance edition said the two exchanges are considering creating a Netherlands-based holding company that would take over Deutsche Boerse's shares, which would then be fused with a U.S.-based subsidiary of the holding company.
An NYSE spokesman would not comment in response to calls by The Associated Press.
Der Spiegel cited as the basis for its report a Deutsche Bourse "internal paper" to be presented at an exchange meeting today.
AUTHOR REWORKS POTTER GUIDE
NORTH MUSKEGON, Mich. — A "Harry Potter" fan and Web site operator said Friday he's publishing a different version of his Potter reference guide after losing a copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by the author of the massively popular book series
Steven Vander Ark said during a news conference at a bookstore that Muskegon-based RDR Books will publish "The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction and Related Materials" on Jan. 12.
Author J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros., maker of the Harry Potter films and owner of intellectual property rights to the Potter books and movies, sued RDR Books in 2007 to stop the publication of a similar volume by Vander Ark.
A federal judge in New York ruled in favor of Rowling in September, permanently blocking publication of that reference guide. RDR Books appealed the court ruling last month but withdrew the appeal on Thursday.
