Newspaper’s circulation overstated for years

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Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 8:55 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Hollinger International Inc., which claims that former Chief Executive Conrad Black and associates misappropriated $380 million while running the company, said the Chicago Sun-Times overstated its circulation for years.

Hollinger International didn't elaborate on the circulation figures, which newspapers use to set advertising rates, and said it has stopped the practices that led to the erroneous reporting.

"Misstating circulation is really a form of theft," John Morton, president of media consulting firm Morton Research in Silver Spring, Md., said in an interview. "It can have serious consequences because advertisers can sue to recover some of the money they spent."