Sun-Times Media Group

Sun-Times Media Group (until recently Hollinger International) nyse|SVN is the holding company of a Chicago based newspaper group. Thirty percent (and 78% of the voting share) of the group is owned by Canadian based Hollinger Inc. - an 84% controlling stake was owned by controversial Canadian businessman Conrad Black through his Ravelston Corporation Limited. He attempted to sell this stake to the Barclay brothers in January 2004 and the brothers launched a takeover bid for the rest of Hollinger International. However the sale was blocked by a judge in the United States after the company's board lodged a court action against the sale. Ravelston is currently in receivership.

The Barclay brothers later bought The Telegraph Group which included "The Daily Telegraph", "The Sunday Telegraph", and "The Spectator". On November 16, 2004 the sale of "The Jerusalem Post" to Mirkaei Tikshoret, a Tel Aviv-based publisher of Israeli newspapers, was announced. CanWest Global Communications, Canada's biggest media concern, announced it has agreed to take a 50 percent stake in "The Jerusalem Post" after Mirkaei buys the property. In February, 2006, Hollinger sold substantially all of its Canadian assets. [http://www.thesuntimesgroup.com/release.asp?articleid=301] The corporation's name was changed to Sun-Times Media Group on July 17, 2006. [http://www.thesuntimesgroup.com/release.asp?articleid=317]

Assets now include the "Chicago Sun-Times" in the United States, and various suburban and neighborhood newspapers in the Chicago area, including the "Post-Tribune" of Northwest Indiana, the Pioneer Press group, the "Daily Southtown," the "Beacon News"-Sun Publications group in the Aurora-Naperville area, "The Star (Tinley Park)", The Herald News (Joliet) and the Lake County "News Sun." It also owns the [http://www.centerstagechicago.com/ Centerstage Chicago] entertainment site.

un-Times newspapers

Corporate governance

November 17, 2003
* Conrad Black resigns as Chairman after an internal inquiry alleges that Black had received more than $7 million in unauthorized payments of company funds.

January 14, 2004
* Hollinger International files a US$200 million lawsuit against Conrad Black and David Radler.

October 2005
*Gordon A. Paris Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
*Paul B. Healy Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
*Peter K. Lane Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
*Robert T. Smith Treasurer
*James R. Van Horn Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
*John Cruickshank Chief Operating Officer, Head of the Chicago Group

Current members of the board of directors of the corporation are: Gordon Paris, Richard Burt, Daniel Colson, Cyrus Freidhelm, Henry Kissinger, Shmuel Meitar, John O'Brien, Richard Perle, Graham Savage, Raymond Seitz, and James R. Thompson.

External links

* [http://www.thesuntimesgroup.com Sun-Times Media Group] official site
* [http://www.hollinger.com Hollinger Inc.] official site
* [http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/ Suburban Chicago News] site, including the Aurora "Beacon News", "Naperville Sun" and Sun Group, Joliet Herald News, and Lake County "News Sun"
* [http://media.guardian.co.uk/telegraph/ Guardian Unlimited Special Report - Conrad Black, Hollinger and the Telegraph] Ongoing archive collection of news and analysis.
* [http://www.ketupa.net/black.htm Ketupa.net - Media Profiles: Hollinger, Black & the Barclays] Extensive background information, including past and present media holdings.
* [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/868512/000095012304010413/y01437exv99w2.htm U.S. SEC - Breeden Report] Complete 512-page copy of the Report of Investigation by the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Hollinger International Inc.