For months, publishing circles have buzzed with the rumor that the New York Journal-American (circ. 599,536), biggest afternoon paper in the Hearst chain, was selling out to Scripps-Howard's afternoon New York World-Telegram and Sun (circ. 450,486). The rumor gained currency in the light of two major Hearst and Scripps-Howard mergers: last year's merger of Hearst's money-losing International News Service with Scripps-Howard's United Press, and last summer's union of Hearst's unprofitable San Francisco evening paper, the Call-Bulletin, with Scripps-Howard's equally unprofitable News.
Patiently, but with mounting irritation, Hearst executives denied the rumor every time it popped up, finally exploded last week when...