The Seattle P-I's owner on Thursday asked a judge to change a set of filing deadlines to ease its fight in what is becoming a two-front legal struggle.

On one front, before arbitrator Larry Jordan, The Hearst Corp. is trying to prevent The Seattle Times Co. from ending a business arrangement it calls key to its survival. The non-appealable arbitration is due to begin April 9 and conclude by May 31.

At the same time, both publishers are preparing to face a citizens group, the Committee for a Two-Newspaper Town, in King County Superior Court. The committee has filed a motion challenging the two newspapers' right to end the business arrangement, which is known as a joint operating agreement.

In Thursday's filings, Hearst asked that Judge Greg Canova decide Monday whether Hearst can try to postpone the committee's motion for summary judgment.

Unlike some motions that are merely procedural, a motion for summary judgment requires argument in court and will likely result in a final ruling by the judge. Hearst said it doesn't have time to prepare for the important motion -- currently slated to be heard April 6 -- because it's busy preparing for the arbitration.

Rather, it wants Canova to order the committee's motion to be heard in June, following the arbitration. If normal procedures are followed, the committee will respond to Hearst's filing today.