Tribune Co. names Baltimore publisher

Tribune Co. names Baltimore publisher

	Published : Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:00 By : Agencies Print this Story

BALTIMORE (AP) - Rondra J. Matthews has resigned as publisher and chief executive officer of The (Baltimore) Sun and will be succeeded by Timothy Ryan, Tribune Co. announced Monday.

Matthews, who took the job in October, was stepping down for personal reasons, the company said.

'I have been conflicted by the demands of this job and my desire to be attentive to an aging parent,' Matthews said in an e-mail to Sun employees Monday that was quoted in a Tribune news release. 'I have decided to return to Virginia to spend more time with my mother and other family members.'

Matthews had been president, publisher and chief executive officer of the Tribune-owned Daily Press Inc. in Newport News, Va., before coming to the Sun.

She will be looking for a job that offers more flexibility, Sun spokeswoman Linda Yurche said.

Ryan will be the fourth publisher at the Sun since Chicago-based Tribune Co. purchased the paper in 2000. Previous publishers include Denise E. Palmer, who held the position from 2002 to 2006 and Mike Waller, who led the paper from 1997 to 2002.

Ryan was named vice president for circulation and consumer marketing at the Chicago Tribune in March 2005. He held a similar position at the Sun from July 2000 to February 2005. His new position takes effect Friday.

'I am excited about returning to Baltimore and the opportunity to help shape the future of The Sun,' Ryan said in the release. 'This is a great company with a long tradition of success. I am confident we can build on that tradition and meet the evolving needs of readers and advertisers.'

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Ryan earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame and a master's in business administration from Northwestern University. He started at the Chicago Tribune in 1982, serving in a variety of circulation management positions.

Tribune Co. has been contemplating several restructuring proposals to increase shareholder value. It sold two Connecticut papers earlier this month to Gannett Co. and has said it may release other plans within the next couple of weeks.

At least one business group has expressed interest in returning Maryland's largest daily to local control, although the parent company has no current plans to sell, Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman said.

The company owns 11 newspapers, including the Sun, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Press and the Los Angeles Times, along with 23 television stations and the Chicago Cubs baseball team.