User:Reporter

Hello all Users Of SourceWatch! I am The Reporter, And I want to make sure that you find what you want! I will regularly post reviews on several topics. I am currently working on Conrad Black And Hollinger. Just wait and see! --The Reporter 14:30, 7 Apr 2004 (EDT)

Here is all of my research on Conrad Black and Hollinger:

This is an excerpt from Hollinger Publishing's website, www.hollinger.com.

THE HISTORY OF HOLLINGER INC. The original Hollinger Gold Mine, near Timmins, Ontario, was discovered in 1909 by prospector Benny Hollinger. It was once the richest gold producer in the Western Hemisphere, with total production of $400 million, even at one-tenth of today's gold prices.

The Hollinger Gold Mine was incorporated in 1910 and went through several versions of that name. In 1978 Conrad Black, on gaining control of Argus Corporation Limited, acquired a control block of Hollinger Mines and the company eventually became Hollinger Argus Limited. On September 17, 1985 Hollinger Argus Limited amalgamated with Argcen Holdings Inc. (formerly Dominion Stores Limited) and Labmin Resources Limited (formerly Labrador Mining and Exploration Company Limited) to form HOLLINGER INC., the present day company. After 1985 the company gradually acquired newspapers and divested itself of all other holdings except certain real estate properties of Argcen.

Hollinger's principal asset is its approximately 72.4% voting and 30.0% equity interest in Hollinger International Inc. Hollinger International is a global newspaper publisher with English-language newspapers in the United States, Great Britain, and Israel. Its assets include The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator and Apollo magazines in Great Britain, the Chicago Sun-Times and a large number of community newspapers in the Chicago area, The Jerusalem Post and The International Jerusalem Post in Israel, a portfolio of new media investments and a variety of other assets.

Lord Black is currently: •	Almost bankrupt. •	Owing nearly BILLIONS to U.S law frms. •	And many more. Lord Black is really losing out. Here, I have an excerpt gallery from good sources, including the BBC. Here is an excerpt from the BBC news website on Black's Retirement:

Media tycoon Conrad Black resigns

Conrad Black is to step down as chief executive of a global media empire that includes the UK's Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers. The announcement came as the company, Hollinger International, said it was considering putting itself up for sale. The move follows an internal inquiry which found that Lord Black and other executives had received more than $32m (£19m) in unauthorised payments. The group's other assets include the Chicago Sun-Times and Jerusalem Post. He is your typical verbose, bombastic megalomaniac, and they never go quietly

Roy Greenslade, media commentator The future for Lord Black and his empire

It also owns some Canadian newspapers. Hollinger said Lord Black would leave his post on Friday, but would remain as non-executive chairman. The company said the payments had not been authorised by its audit committee or its board of directors. About $7.2m was paid to Lord Black himself, Hollinger added. Lord Black and the other executives implicated have agreed to repay the company the full amount of the unauthorised payments they received, plus interest, by 1 June 2004, the firm said. "This really shows that the present movement toward corporate governance reform can even force an organization which is almost completely dominated by one central figure to bow to needed changes," said Paul Hodgson of corporate governance body the Corporate Library. Repayments Hollinger had already been under fire from shareholders because of its complex corporate structure. Revealing the existence of the unauthorised payments last Friday, the company also said it was delaying the release of its quarterly results. Hollinger added that its board has also accepted the resignations - with immediate effect - of president and chief operating officer David Radler, vice president Mark Kipnis, and board member Peter Atkinson. LORD BLACK OF CROSSHARBOUR Born in Canada, 1944 Owner of Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Chicago Sun-Times, Jerusalem Post Created life peer in 2000 Profile: Conrad Black

Lord Black has insisted the unauthorised payments were above-board. Described as "non-competition" payments, they were paid by buyers of Hollinger International newspapers to prevent the firm from launching new rival titles. Hollinger shareholders have argued that the payments should have benefited the company rather than its directors. Paperwork The company said officials had been unable to produce paperwork showing that its audit committee approved some of the payments to executives. And other newspaper industry officials have said it is unusual for such payments to go to executives from the company itself. Lord Black said: "The present structure of the group clearly must be renovated. As the strategic process proceeds we will continue to cooperate entirely with the special committee to resolve corporate governance concerns." Hollinger has now appointed investment bank Lazard to review its strategic options, which are said to range from a possible sale of the group, to the disposal of one or several of its main assets. There is growing speculation that the Telegraph newspapers in Britain will be among assets put up for sale. Some reports have suggested that the Washington Post would be interested in buying them. Two British newspaper groups have also been named as possible buyers - the Daily Express and the Daily Mail. Replacement Lord Black is to be replaced as Hollinger chief executive by Graham Paris, currently group administrator. Hollinger now expects to file its quarterly results on Wednesday. Conrad Black was born in Toronto in 1944 and went on to build up a portfolio of Canadian newspapers. He expanded his business empire across the Atlantic in the 1980s. In 2000, he became Lord Black of Crossharbour, taking up a seat in the House of Lords and renouncing his Canadian citizenship. Hollinger said Lord Black would continue in his role as chairman of the wholly owned subsidiary The Telegraph Group, the immediate publisher of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph papers. It was Lord Black himself who earlier this year agreed to appoint a special committee to review the unauthorised payments.

Here's another excerpt, this time from MSN news:

Conrad Black The newspaper mogul thinks like an American and writes like a Brit. No wonder he's leaving Canada. By David Plotz Posted Friday, Aug. 31, 2001, at 5:30 PM PT

For 30 years, Conrad Black has been Canada's most extraordinary businessman. For U.S. readers who've never heard of him, this is the same as saying: Conrad Black is the world's tallest midget. But Black doesn't deserve the smack. He's a treat for all of North America, not just its upper half. Black made headlines last week by selling the last fragments of his Canadian newspaper empire, his remaining half-share in the National Post, the excellent paper he founded in 1998. Black also renounced his Canadian citizenship, which means he now belongs to the largest category of famous Canadians: ex-Canadians.

another one, this time from Mirror.co.uk:

Conrad Black to retire sooner than planned

02:01, Nov 20 2003

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Newspaper publisher Hollinger International says Conrad Black is retiring as chief executive officer immediately, sooner than planned, after he and other executives received unauthorised payments. The company said because of Black's resignation, he was unable to certify the company's results for the September quarter. Hollinger said it intends to file its Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon certain disclosures around the unauthorised payments are completed. Black, who is the controlling shareholder of the company, had previously announced plans to retire from the company effective November 21, but he informed the board that his retirement would take effect immediately on advice of counsel, the company said.

Judging from the evidence, I'd say Lord Black is one Evil man. --The Reporter 14:36, 7 Apr 2004 (EDT)