Inquirer/Daily News Publisher Bob Hall keeps his job

A JUDGE YESTERDAY rejected a request to remove Robert J. Hall from his post as publisher of the company that owns the Daily News, Inquirer and Philly.com.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Patricia McInerney is still considering a request to reinstate Inquirer editor Bill Marimow, whom Hall fired on Oct. 7.

Both requests were made by Lewis Katz and H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, two of the six men who started Interstate General Media last year to buy the media brands.

Katz and Lenfest filed suit three days after Marimow's firing, claiming Katz has veto power over such a business decision since he and George Norcross III are a two-man management committee for the company. They also claimed Hall's contract as publisher expired Aug. 31.

McInerney heard testimony yesterday from Katz and Hall that painted very different pictures about the dispute.

Everyone agrees that Marimow resisted orders from Hall to fire three top Inquirer editors.

Katz claimed Hall was acting as a "supportive actor" in this effort for Norcross, who took action because those editors "antagonized" a member of his family.

That was an apparent reference to Norcross' 26-year-old daughter, Lexie, who serves as vice president of digital operations and corporate services for Interstate General Media.

"This was a handpicked group," Katz said of the editors. "This wasn't by accident"

Katz said he challenged the firings, making Hall "very frustrated." The list of people to be fired was then revised to include Inquirer City Editor Nancy Phillips, Katz said. Phillips is Katz's longtime companion.

Hall testified yesterday that he had the authority to fire the editors, a decision he made to change the "culture and environment" of the Inquirer. He planned to use the salary of those editors to hire more reporters to cover the suburbs around Philadelphia.

He said Katz's advocacy for those editors was "over the line" for a noninterference pledge the owners signed, promising not to meddle in matters of journalism.

Hall testified that he started to draw up an explanation during the summer for why he would fire Marimow, complaining that the editor did not make changes as fast as Hall wanted them done.

Hall's testimony is set to resume this morning. George Norcross is due to testify Monday.