March 30, 2012

NEW YORK (JTA) — The Baltimore Jewish Times’ main creditor has filed a bid for the newspaper, which is set to be sold Monday under the supervision of a court-appointed trustee.  

The media company’s former printer, H.G. Roebuck & Son Inc., submitted a $450,000 bid for the newspaper and sister magazine before the Thursday deadline, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The bid was criticized by Andrew Alter Buerger, publisher of the newspaper and CEO of its parent company, Alter Communications.

Buerger, whose great-grandfather established the paper more than 90 years ago, said Roebuck’s acquiring the newspaper would be “a real tragic end to this company.”

The Baltimore Sun reported that Charles Roebuck III, one of the principals of the printing company, did not return a call seeking comment.

Roebuck secured a $362,000 breach-of-contract judgment against Alter Communications two years ago. Soon after, the media company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The two sides failed to come to terms on a plan to bring Alter Communications out of bankruptcy.

The court-appointed trustee, Zvi Guttman, will oversee the auction of Alter’s assets on Monday.

Separate bids have also been made by the owners of the Washington Jewish Week and an investor group headed by Baltimore-area physician and health care entrepreneur Scott Rifkin.

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