Tribune Co seeks court OK to pay execs bonuses

Bankrupt newspaper publisher Tribune Co has asked a federal bankruptcy judge to approve its plan to pay bonuses to its top employees. The company, which publishes the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, is seeking permission to continue its incentive plan that calls for bonuses of tens of millions in 2009 to 720 management employees, including its top 10 executives, according to documents filed Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware. The incentive plan calls for paying up to $35 million in a pool, as well paying 23 leaders of key operations a total of $9.3 million and another $3.1 million in all to nine of its top 10 executives. A hearing on the request is scheduled for August 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.