Jeff Smulyan, the CEO of Emmis Communications, said he never intended to block Texas Monthly Editor-in-Chief Jake Silverstein from jumping ship to join the New York Times Magazine as its editor.
Smulyan said he believed all along that the Times was going to compensate the company for allowing Silverstein to walk, since he was still under a three-year contract that doesn’t expire until February 2015.
Emmis ended up suing the Times last Friday, claiming the paper enticed Silverstein to breach his contract.
“I never dreamed it would get to this,” said Smulyan.
Emmis, based in Indianapolis, owns radio stations such as Hot 97 FM in New York City and a number of regional magazines, including Texas Monthly, Indianapolis Monthly and Los Angeles Magazine.
Smulyan also said the Times’ initial story on April 11 that reported Texas Monthly intended to sue Silverstein for breach of contract was plain wrong.
“We were always willing to release Jake,” Smulyan said. “But we told them he had a contract and we expected to be compensated. They said, fine.”
Emmis is believed to be looking for a mid-six-figure sum to allow Silverstein to walk.
The Times said it was granted permission to talk to Silverstein, and that it was “outrageous” for Emmis to sue after the hiring was announced in late March.
Smulyan said it sued because the Times “refused to negotiate.”
The Times said it still expects Silverstein to take up his new role in mid-May.
Silverstein, who was in New York City on Friday, returned to Austin and Texas Monthly this week.
Meanwhile, Texas Monthly is mulling whether to hand the job to the No. 2 editor, Brian Sweany, or to look outside.