WSJ links publisher's resignation to sales deal

LONDON (AP) - The Wall Street Journal says its publisher in Europe resigned after an internal investigation determined that he had tried to influence editorial content to favor a partner in a cut-price circulation deal.

The report in Thursday's European edition appeared to differ from a statement by its owner, News Corp. subsidiary Dow Jones, that Tuesday's resignation of publisher Andrew Langhoff was unrelated to a circulation deal with the Netherlands-based Executive Learning Partnerships.

The Journal, quoting what it called people familiar with the matter, said ELP paid 1 euro cent (1.3 U.S. cents) each for 12,000 copies of the paper daily, a big slice of its European circulation of 75,000. The paper retails for 1.50 pounds ($2.35, (euro) 1.71).