Tribune urges earlier hearing on examiner's report

Tribune Co. told U.S. Bankruptcy Court that speeding up the release of a special examiner's report and related documents to parties involved in the case is "critical" to keeping the company on track for hearings on its proposed reorganization plan at the end of this month.

The Chicago-based media company asked the court in Delaware in a filing July 26 to move up a hearing on releasing the report to Wednesday from the Aug. 9 date suggested by the examiner. The earlier hearing would allow Tribune time to prepare for confirmation hearings on the reorganization plan, slated to start Aug. 30. "It is critical that the parties be provided with the report, the exhibits and the transcripts at the earliest possible opportunity once filed with the court," the Tribune said in the filing. "Any delay in this regard -- particularly to as late as Aug. 9, 2010 -- could be highly disruptive to the plan confirmation schedule." Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, other newspapers and 23 local TV stations, must win approval of the plan from creditors and the court before it's permitted to exit bankruptcy.