Publisher Out at the Chronicle

Hearst Corp. announced Monday the sudden departure of San Francisco Chronicle Publisher John Oppedahl, who is leaving the company after less than three years on the job.

Oppedahl will be succeeded by Associate Publisher Steven Falk.

Spokespeople for Hearst and the Chronicle said they had no information on whether Oppedahl resigned or was fired.

The Chronicle, Northern California’s largest-circulation daily newspaper, has lost millions of dollars because of the Bay Area economy’s decline in recent years, according to published reports.

A call to Oppedahl’s executive assistant at the Chronicle wasn’t returned.