L.A. TIMES PUBLISHER APOLOGIZES FOR ARENA SPECIAL SECTION

          Senior editors at the L.A. Times met with Publisher
     Kathryn Downing yesterday to express a sense of "betrayal"
     after news that the newspaper shared $2M in profits from a
     special Sunday Magazine section with the "subject of the
     section, the Staples Center," according to Oppel & Barringer
     of the N.Y. TIMES.  The meeting "came as about 300 editorial
     staff members demanded an apology from the newspaper,
     contending in a petition that the financial deal had
     compromised the newspaper's integrity."  A staff member at
     the meeting said Downing apologized for her handling of the
     financial arrangement.  The L.A. Times is one of 10
     "founding partners" of the arena (N.Y. TIMES, 10/28). 
     Downing said that the deal called on the two to "work
     together on joint opportunities for additional revenue,"
     without specifying what those opportunities would be. 
     Downing said the proceeds of the revenue went to cover "part
     of the" $2.5-3M partnership fee (L.A. TIMES, 10/28).