Breeze deal semi-revealed

The South Bay Daily Breeze will fetch just $25 million and end up in the hands of Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group via an indirect route, according to the San Jose Mercury-News, another recent Singleton acquisition. Court documents filed in the Bay Area disclose that Hearst, owner of the San Francisco Chronicle, will purchase the Breeze from Copley then sell it to MediaNews. The paperwork was filed as part of the publishing companies' response to a lawsuit by San Francisco executive Clint Reilly trying to undo the sale of the Mercury-News and Contra Costa Times to MediaNews. Singleton's acquisition of the Breeze came close enough to closing last month that staffers in Torrance were given new time sheets and told to prepare for the changeover. But the announcement has been put on hold.