• December 1, 2005

Newspaper publisher McClatchy Co. Wednesday released an audit conducted by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which it claims confirms the Star Tribune's earlier findings that no circulation adjustments are required for any numbers previously reported by the newspaper. "After 19 weeks of review involving thousands of records and dozens of interviews with independent contractors and employees, ABC's regularly scheduled audit verified the newspaper circulation numbers for current and recent years," McClatchy said. The review and ABC audit follows a suit filed June 28 in the Twin Cities by four advertisers charging that the Star Tribune reported inflated circulation numbers in order to charge higher advertising rates. Two of the four plaintiffs have since withdrawn from the litigation and has been dismissed as a defendant in the lawsuit. -- Joe Mandese