The Ongoing Feud Between Twin Heirs Over a Family Media Empire
A long-standing and bitter feud between twin brothers has taken center stage as they fight over the future of their family’s media empire, Block Communications. The conflict centers around the decision to sell the company for millions of dollars, which has sparked intense rivalry and legal battles.
John Robinson Block and Allan Block, both 71 years old, have been at odds over the direction of Block Communications, a private company based in Ohio that owns a wide range of print and broadcast media outlets. John reportedly considered selling the company in 2023, which led to a confrontation with his brother, Allan, who allegedly threatened him.
According to a 2024 court filing cited by the Wall Street Journal, Allan, who is the chairman and CEO of Block Communications, told John, “I will destroy you.” This incident highlights the deep-seated tension between the two siblings.
Financial Challenges and Company Restructuring
Block Communications has already begun scaling back its operations, selling its TV station group last summer for $80 million, pending regulatory approval. Additionally, the company closed the Pittsburgh City Paper, an alternative weekly focused on local news, dining reviews, arts, and entertainment, in December due to financial concerns.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the company’s flagship publications, is set to stop being published in May, raising serious doubts about the future of Block Communications.
Allan has expressed his views on the potential sale of the company, stating, “I think we’ll likely be a seller at some point,” but he emphasized that this was not his intention. “It’s not what my father, grandfather or uncle wanted.”
Disagreements and Legal Battles
Allan explained that he opposed the sale because he disagreed with the timing and felt sidelined from the process. He also denied making any threats against his brother, claiming that he treated him with affection.
“I would like to have a relationship with my brother,” Allan said. “It’s awful.”
The history of Block Communications dates back to 1900 when the twins’ grandfather, Paul Block, a German immigrant and advertising executive, founded the company in New York. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was created under its current iteration in 1927.
The second generation of the media empire was led by the twins’ father, Paul Block Jr., and his brother William Block, who continued expanding Block Communications.
Allan began serving as chairman and CEO of Block Communications in February 1980, according to his LinkedIn profile. He focused on cable, television, and telecom operations and was in charge of the business side of the newspapers.
John has served as the publisher and editor-in-chief of the company’s newspapers since 1987, according to a public LinkedIn profile.
Financial Struggles and Legal Conflicts
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has lost more than $350 million over the last 20 years. Combined revenue at the Post-Gazette and The Toledo Blade fell by 87 percent during that time span.
After John started looking into selling Block Communications, Allan filed a breach-of-contract suit in May 2024. The filing in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas viewed by the Daily Mail mentioned an episode in February 2019 during which John allegedly ‘demeaned and threatened staff’ at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom.
He screamed at his teen daughter as he did this, according to the suit. “John Block’s minor daughter, who was present during this disturbing ‘tirade,’ was ‘visibly terrified’ by her father’s conduct,” the complaint read.
The alleged outburst described in the suit was corroborated to the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh by four eyewitness accounts.
Web editor Marianne Mizera wrote that John “very angry and irate” when he entered the newsroom around 10pm. “It was clear he was intoxicated,” Mizera wrote.
She described how John “shouted that he wanted a picture of himself and his daughter taken” in front of a sign that read “Shame on the Blocks!” “He fervently demanded the photos be taken NOW, right away and forcefully grabbed his daughter’s forearm, pulling her into the picture as she tried her best to pull away from him,” Mizera wrote.
John’s daughter was allegedly “crying, shaking and pleading with her father that she did NOT want to be in ANY photograph.”
Another written account by night cops reporter Andrew Goldstein said that John was “screaming in his daughter’s face about the Block family legacy.” “Do you want to be high class or low class? You’re a Block, you’re one of us!” John allegedly said. “You have to learn how to lead!”
John fought back against Allan’s accusations in his own legal filing, claiming that his twin brother was not allowing the company to be sold for its full value. The suit was eventually settled, causing Allan to be reinstated as CEO but not as chairman.
The Daily Mail has reached out to John Robinson Block and Allan Block for comment.
