COMPLAINT about Privilege Media Group / Privilege Lifestyle

[angelahoy]

April 17, 2007

Mr. Adrian Donelly - editor-in-chief@privilegemgi.com
Privilege Media Group International Corp. - privilegemgi.com
Privilege Lifestyle - privilegelifestyle.com - alleged circulation 55K
326 Adelaide Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1R3, Canada
P(416)977-6673
Cell (416)580-7434

WritersWeekly.com has received a complaint about:
Adrian Donelly / Privilege Media Group International Corp. - privilegemgi.com /
Privilege Lifestyle / privilegelifestyle.com

WritersWeekly.com is a publication that publishes information for and
about freelance writers. The publication is the largest-circulation
freelance writing ezine in the world.

As part of that information, WritersWeekly.com publishes a Warnings
section on its website and in its newsletter. This warning section
contains reports about publications that are unprofessional in dealing
with writers, have refused to pay writers money owed to them, who have
not abided by their contracts, or who have unfair contract terms. These
reports are used by WritersWeekly.com's subscribers to decide which
publications they should and should not work with.

Your firm has been submitted to us for inclusion in the
WritersWeekly.com Whispers and Warnings section.

Step one of our investigation of this report is to gather all relevant
correspondence between your publication and the person submitting the
complaint so that we can piece together that person's side of the story.
Step one of our investigation has been completed.

-------------
THE COMPLAINT
-------------

[LB] (name not published here but was, of course, provided to
the publisher) alleges you owe her $3,474.00 and that you are ignoring
her correspondence. She has been waiting more than a year for payment.
See complete allegation under my signature.

It is also alleged that another writer is owed money by your company as well.

-----------------
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
-----------------

The second step in our investigation is to send this communication to
your firm to get its side of the story. If you have evidence disputing these
allegations, or would like to make your own statement about these
allegations for publication in our report, please email
richardh@writersweekly.com within two business days.

***All correspondence for our investigations must be in writing and is
subject to publication.***

If you do owe this person money, we strongly suggest you read
this article before responding:
http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/003628_09132006.html

Our report on your firm is scheduled for inclusion in our publication
next Wednesday, though it may appear in our Whispers and Warnings forum
before that then.

If there is no response to these allegations, WritersWeekly.com will
still publish this complaint, but our readers will not be able to read
your side of the story.

We appreciate your prompt response in this matter.

Richard Hoy
Publisher
WritersWeekly.com

-------------------
COMPLETE ALLEGATION
-------------------

From: [LB]
To: Angela Hoy
Subject: re: Privilege media group
Date sent: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:17:06 -0400

Hello,

I wrote a series of four articles last year for Privilege Media Group,
Toronto and have never gotten a penny or a word from the editor
or publisher. They owe me $3,474.00.

The editor was [BM] and the office was located at 326 Adelaide
Street West, Suite 602, Toronto -- M5V 1R3. The website was
www.privilegemgi.com. Her email was editor-in-chief@privilegemagi.com.

I have written, called, worked through [CG], the editor of
the culinary section and I have never had a response, other than from
[CG] telling me he's trying but to no avail.

Thanks,
L

~~~~~

Hi Angela,

Here is a copy of one of the emails I sent after getting no response
from the editor-in-chief when I sent in my invoice. The articles appeared
in October and December of 2005. [CG] was the editor of the Gastronomy
section and TV was the owner/publisher of the magazine. In the fall,
I sent the publisher a certified letter with my invoice which was
returned to me unopened.

Linda

~~~~~

Begin forwarded message:

----- Original Message -----
From: CG
To: LB
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 1:09 PM
Subject: FW: Privilege - URGENT and CONFIDENTIAL -FYI

FYI ... Sometimes it is best to take the `bull by the horns´
and draw that line in the sand !!!

And that is my job, or I am letting you and others down
and not doing my job!
CG

~~~~~

------ Forwarded Message
From: CG
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:28:29 -0500
To: TV
Subject: FW: Privilege - URGENT and CONFIDENTIAL -FYI

TV:

I just received the e-mail below. I regret having to come to
you as the Publisher, but I have no choice.

LB is an important writer who wrote the story
about the Upper Canada Cheese Company, the Chocolate
Story and also the Anna Olson-Michael Olson Story.

She is important and touches many, many important areas
of food and wine, the Niagara Region, the LCBO etc., etc.

While I hate to be a pest, this has now gone far enough!

I also have another very important writer in the same boat.

And, I am sorry to say I have not heard from you regarding
my own e-mail of February 19th.

Beth is aware of both writers and their predicament and I
will not talk with her about my own until it has been cleared up.

TV, these writers are writers, they are not reporters!

I am now holding up another GREAT writer and food personality
from joining PRIVILEGE due to what has happened with the
above and I have told her, I will not get her involved until
certain `complications´ have been cleared up once and for all.

May I please hear from you?

CG

~~~~~

------ Forwarded Message
From: LB
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 09:42:35 -0500
To: CG
Subject: re: Privilege

CG,
Could I impose on you once again to remind B to at least respond to
me. In your role as Gastronomy editor it would be so helpful if you could
intercede on my behalf. I'm not sure how to proceed. I hope I'm not
going to get stiffed. What could possibly be the hold up?

L

~~~~~

From: Editor-in-Chief [mailto:editor-in-chief@privilegemgi.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 8:00 AM
To: 'Adrian Donnelly'
Subject: re: Privilege Magazine
Importance: High

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 Without Prejudice

Adrian;

After very careful thought, much consideration, soul searching, it is with great sadness that I must write you this note.

I am not interested in participating in any form of bankruptcy of Privilege magazine.

Effective immediately, I am resigning from my position as Editor In Chief of Privilege Magazine. As I believe that I made myself perfectly clear at the meeting yesterday, credibility with my writers is my first and utmost concern. I find it necessary to pull all articles from the current issue that was planned to go to print as the August September issue. In all good conscious, as Editor In Chief I must give all writers the opportunity to release them from their written obligation to me.

I want to wish you the very best in your attempts to recoup your losses and your investment. Thanks for offering me the opportunity to continue under your leadership.

I will not be attending the 1 pm meeting today as previously discussed. I do however have personal effects in my office and would like the opportunity to remove them with your permission. I do have a key to the office and will return to you personally. I will not enter the office to remove any items until you and I determine the best time to do so.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter. I wish you all the best to you and your team.

Sincerely,
B.

~~~~~

FORMER PUBLISHER RESPONDS

Dear Angela: Without Prejudice

Yesterday I received, through most interesting means, a series of emails regarding Privilege Magazine and Luxe Magazine as sent by you to multiple email addresses including my passed personal email addresses.

These are email addresses that I do not use anymore and/or I have no access to anymore. Therefore any and all possible defence to these allegations/claims would and could have been non existent adding to the unfortunate state of circumstances that have plagued these two publications!

The content of these emails although disturbing to say the least, does border line into a serious deformation of my character. The information and/or some of the statements as written are totally and absolutely false.

It is true that both of these publications did contract with various independent "freelance" writers for articles to be written by these writers and to be published in Privilege Magazine and Luxe Magazine.

For the record, there is absolutelly no corporate connection/association between Privilege Magazine and Luxe Magazine.

Your email and any reference thereof, refers to non-payment scenarios and/or responsibilities by the Editor and Chief and/or the Publisher as it was our collective responsibility to pay for these freelance services. Although I will admit to my fiduciary responsibility at the helm of an organization to make sure that all payables are honored , this only applies when this person has the authority and/or is part of these organizations. In both of these cases neither The Editor and Chief nor myself have had the opportunity to address this issue in order to settle it as we have:
In the case of Privilege not been associated with that organization in any shape or form since the end of August 2006
And in the case of Luxe Magazine since November 15, 2006
In the case of Privilege Magazine I was forced to resign by a secured creditor. In the case of Luxe Magazine my services including any and all of the staff and including the Editor and Chief were abruptly terminated by the parent company under the pretence of "restructuring" and/or "refocusing".

It is absolutely wrong to blame and/or accuse The Editor and Chief and /or myself for circumstances that are totally over and above our control. In reality we did become "the puppets" of horrible circumstances, circumstances that have adversely affected the credibility of both The Editor and Chief and/or myself. The Editor and Chief actually resigned her position with Privilege when the new owners of Privilege Magazine, based on a direct question by her; "are the writers going to be paid" they answered "NO". She did not want to have anything to do with that situation, hence her immediate resignation from Privilege.

I find it very interesting that CG is now the Wine and Food editor of the "NEW" Privilege Lifestyle publication under the ownership of Mr. Adrian Donelly, the exact individual who through a "secured creditor" arrangement took control of Privilege Magazine.

I, as the majority shareholder of Privilege Media Group International Corp. had to dispose of any and all of my shareholding(s) as they were pledged against "my personal guarantee" to an other secured creditor of the corporation.

In closing, the only item that can be proven beyond any reasonable doubt is that both The Editor and Chief and I, NEVER in any shape or form attempted and/or denied to honor any and all of the liabilities of these two publications nor did we benefit from this fiasco. To the contrary, the financial impact on me personaly due to this situation has been cripling and severe.

Any innuendos as such must and will be treated in their own merit and will be addressed on a one to one basis and dealt with and in accordance to the merit that they deserve. What I suggest is that any direction(s) chosen by any freelancers is focused directly towards the companies and/or the individuals responsible for these organizations not the individuals who are "supposed" to be responsible. We have not been there for months and have absolutely no control an/or association and/or knowledge with the said companies, NOT BY OUR CHOICE. Any unpaid writers must go after these corporations that owe them the money and not attempt to defame individuals that absolutely have no resources and/or opportunity to make something right from wrong.

You may publish this responce if you wish!

--
TV

[angelahoy]

Adrian Donelly did not respond to WritersWeekly's inquiry.