The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 20-year-old joint operating agreement with the Las Vegas Sun never received required federal approval and is therefore unenforceable, a court ruled Monday.
The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the Review-Journal reverses a District Court decision that the 2005 arrangement between the news organizations was lawful and binding, even though it was never signed by the U.S. attorney general, as required by the federal Newspaper Preservation Act.
“We conclude that, because it did not receive the required ‘prior written consent of the Attorney General,’ the 2005 JOA is unlawful and unenforceable,” the ruling said.
