SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Owners of Salt Lake City's two daily newspapers are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit over joint operating agreement between The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News.
Attorneys for Kearns-Tribune and the Deseret News Publishing Company argued in court documents Monday that the group of former Tribune reporters and current readers has no standing to challenge the agreement.
The owners also say there's no merit to allegations that agreement violates federal antitrust laws and threatens the Tribune's independence.
The lawsuit was filed in June after the group asked the U.S. Justice Department to review the recently revised 6-decade old agreement between the newspapers.
Under the revised agreement, the Deseret News bought the Tribune's share of a printing plant and will get 70% of the profits, up from 42% before.