Media General Reports September Revenues

Media General Reports September Revenues

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Media General, Inc. (NYSE: MEG) today reported September 2006 total revenues of $79.5 million, a 16.7 percent increase from September 2005, including the revenues of four new NBC television stations. Excluding the new stations, total revenues increased 2.4 percent in September. By business segment, Publishing Division revenues declined 2.9 percent, Broadcast Division total revenues increased 56.3 percent, or 11 percent excluding the new stations, and Interactive Media Division total revenues rose 45.6 percent.

Newspaper advertising revenues in September declined $930,000 or 2.4 percent, and reflected decreases in all categories. Including online revenues from associated Web sites, newspaper advertising revenues decreased only 1.6 percent in September.

Retail advertising revenues declined $330,000, or 1.9 percent. A small increase generated by the Winston-Salem Journal was more than offset by a slight decrease at The Tampa Tribune. Retail revenues for the Richmond Times- Dispatch declined 7.3 percent and primarily reflected lower spending in the financial, medical and furniture store categories. Retail revenues for the Community newspaper group declined 2.2 percent.

Classified advertising revenues decreased $290,000, or 1.7 percent. The company's results included solid growth in real estate advertising, further spending reductions in the automotive category, and a recent softening of help-wanted advertising in line with a deceleration in job growth in the U.S. Including online revenues, total Classified advertising decreased only 1 percent in September. At The Tampa Tribune, Classified revenues declined 2.8 percent. At the Winston-Salem Journal, Classified revenues were down 6.8 percent, while the Richmond Times-Dispatch was even with last year. For the Community newspaper group, Classified revenues increased 1.5 percent.

At the company's three metro newspapers, real estate linage increased 11.5 percent. The Tampa Tribune, which continued to benefit from a strong new- housing market in the region, generated a 13.5 percent increase in real estate Classifieds. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Winston-Salem Journal reported real estate advertising linage increases of approximately 10 percent each.

Employment linage at the three metros declined 14 percent. The Tampa Tribune's help-wanted Classifieds decreased 33.8 percent and the Richmond Times-Dispatch was down 7.1 percent. Running counter to trend, the Winston- Salem Journal generated a 9.8 percent increase in help-wanted linage, which resulted from higher volumes from local advertisers. Automotive linage for the three metros declined 26.3 percent for the month and reflected further spending restraint by automotive dealers.

National revenues declined $280,000, or 8.2 percent. At the Winston-Salem Journal, revenues increased 15.1 percent, due to higher spending in the telecommunications and travel categories. The Tampa Tribune reported a decline of 8.8 percent, which mostly reflected decreases in the telecommunications and automotive categories, and at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, National revenues declined 13.3 percent, from reduced telecommunications advertising.

While Circulation revenues declined $380,000, or 5.9 percent, approximately 60 percent of the decrease was the result of eliminating subsidies to independent carriers at several newspapers. Excluding this impact, Circulation revenues declined only 2.4 percent. Six Media General newspapers generated increases in net-paid Daily Circulation and nine did so for Sunday, but overall volume for the month decreased.

In the Broadcast Division, gross time sales increased $13.9 million, or 65.6 percent, including the Company's four new NBC stations. Excluding the new stations, gross time sales increased 12.1 percent.

Local time sales increased $4.4 million, or 31.8 percent, including the new stations. Excluding these stations, Local time sales decreased 1.3 percent. Higher spending in furniture and services was offset by decreases in the corporate and financial categories.

National time sales increased $2.9 million, or 40 percent, including the new stations. Excluding these stations, National time sales decreased 6 percent. Increases in automotive and media advertising were offset by lower spending in the telecommunications and corporate categories.

Total Political revenues of $6.8 million compared with $190,000 last September, and were driven by gubernatorial races in Rhode Island, Florida and Ohio and by U.S. Senate campaigns in Rhode Island, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee, augmented by issue spending in Rhode Island, Florida and Ohio. Political revenues included $3.5 million from the four new NBC stations.

Interactive Media Division revenue growth reflected increased advertiser spending and new products in all categories. Total online advertising grew 33.8 percent. The greatest contributor to growth was increased online Classified advertising, up 10.8 percent. Local advertising increased 71 percent, and National/Regional advertising more than doubled, as a result of campaigns with national agencies across multiple Web sites. Revenues from Media General's Blockdot advergaming business more than doubled from new products and new advertisers. Page views and visitor sessions for September rose more than 25 percent each, including the new stations' Web sites.

About Media General

Media General is a multimedia company operating leading newspapers, television stations and online enterprises primarily in the Southeastern United States. The company's publishing assets include three metropolitan newspapers, The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; 22 daily community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; and more than 150 weekly newspapers and other publications. The company's broadcasting assets currently include 26 network- affiliated television stations that reach more than 33 percent of the television households in the Southeast and nearly 10 percent of those in the United States. The company's interactive media assets include more than 75 online enterprises that are associated with its newspapers and television stations. Media General also owns a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Company, a manufacturer of recycled newsprint.

                              MEDIA GENERAL INC.
                           Revenues and Page Views

                                                        September
                                              2006         2005  % Change

  Revenues (000)                            $79,499      $68,097   16.7 %
         Publishing                          44,433       45,740   (2.9)%
         Broadcast                           32,989       21,110   56.3 %
         Interactive Media                    2,406        1,652   45.6 %
         Eliminations                          (329)        (405)  18.8 %

         Discontinued Operations(1)           3,632        3,292   10.3 %


  Selected Publishing Revenues (000)
      By Category
         Advertising                        $37,413      $38,339   (2.4)%
            Classified                       16,465       16,750   (1.7)%
            Retail                           17,222       17,553   (1.9)%
            National                          3,090        3,366   (8.2)%
            Other                               636          670   (5.1)%
         Circulation                          6,060        6,437   (5.9)%
      By Property
         Richmond                            10,641       11,240   (5.3)%
         Tampa                               14,149       14,599   (3.1)%
         Winston-Salem                        4,202        4,134    1.6 %
         Community Newspapers                15,237       15,508   (1.7)%


  Advertising Revenues (000)(2)
         Richmond                            $8,463       $8,854   (4.4)%
         Tampa                               12,900       13,314   (3.1)%
         Winston-Salem                        3,373        3,338    1.0 %
         Community Newspapers                12,275       12,419   (1.2)%


  Broadcast Time Sales (gross) (000)        $35,028      $21,148   65.6 %
         Local                               18,223       13,826   31.8 %
         National                             9,982        7,130   40.0 %
         Political                            6,823          192    ---


  Selected Online Total Page Views
         TBO.com                         18,491,988   18,624,758   (0.7)%
              (Tampa, Fla.)
         TimesDispatch.com                9,823,843    9,587,938    2.5 %
              (Richmond, Va.)
         JournalNow.com                   3,757,331    3,788,167   (0.8)%
              (Winston-Salem, N.C.)


  Notes:  All data are subject to later adjustment.
  (1) Revenues from certain broadcast and interactive media operations that
      the Company is divesting.
  (2) Amounts reflected included both daily and weekly newspapers.


                              MEDIA GENERAL INC.
                           Revenues and Page Views
                                                        Year-to-Date
                                               2006         2005   % Change

  Revenues (000)                             $688,493     $642,481    7.2 %
         Publishing                           439,928      431,993    1.8 %
         Broadcast                            233,176      199,303   17.0 %
         Interactive Media                     20,039       14,671   36.6 %
         Eliminations                          (4,650)      (3,486) (33.4)%

         Discontinued Operations(1)            30,513       29,966    1.8 %


  Selected Publishing Revenues (000)
      By Category
         Advertising                         $369,021     $358,511    2.9 %
            Classified                        167,995      158,636    5.9 %
            Retail                            164,652      161,175    2.2 %
            National                           30,768       33,177   (7.3)%
            Other                               5,606        5,523    1.5 %
         Circulation                           60,697       64,054   (5.2)%
      By Property
         Richmond                             103,592      103,312    0.3 %
         Tampa                                146,147      140,124    4.3 %
         Winston-Salem                         39,943       39,571    0.9 %
         Community Newspapers                 148,659      147,303    0.9 %


  Advertising Revenues (000)(2)
         Richmond                             $81,604      $80,097    1.9 %
         Tampa                                132,501      126,381    4.8 %
         Winston-Salem                         31,972       31,885    0.3 %
         Community Newspapers                 119,649      117,568    1.8 %


  Broadcast Time Sales (gross) (000)         $238,653     $196,475   21.5 %
         Local                                143,804      129,084   11.4 %
         National                              79,066       66,183   19.5 %
         Political                             15,783        1,208     ---


  Selected Online Total Page Views
         TBO.com                          160,888,294  171,001,782   (5.9)%
              (Tampa, Fla.)
         TimesDispatch.com                 96,359,299   79,273,877   21.6 %
              (Richmond, Va.)
         JournalNow.com                    32,765,540   33,112,967   (1.0)%
              (Winston-Salem, N.C.)


  Notes:  All data are subject to later adjustment.
  (1) Revenues from certain broadcast and interactive media operations that
      the Company is divesting.
  (2) Amounts reflected included both daily and weekly newspapers.



                             MEDIA GENERAL INC.
                    Daily Newspapers Advertising Linage*

                                                         September
                                               2006         2005   % Change
  Richmond Times-Dispatch
      Retail                                 29,986       32,664     (8.2)%
      National                                8,103        9,822    (17.5)%
      Classified                             62,936       72,737    (13.5)%
          Total                             101,025      115,223    (12.3)%
  Tampa Tribune
      Retail                                 39,037       41,400     (5.7)%
      National                                9,548       14,528    (34.3)%
      Classified                            113,916      129,720    (12.2)%
          Total                             162,501      185,648    (12.5)%
  Winston-Salem Journal
      Retail                                 34,065       33,647      1.2 %
      National                                7,110        5,845     21.6 %
      Classified                             52,151       56,669     (8.0)%
          Total                              93,326       96,161     (2.9)%
  Community & Associates Dailies
      Retail                                286,846      317,352     (9.6)%
      National                               17,332       25,555    (32.2)%
      Classified                            382,241      420,609     (9.1)%
          Total                             686,419      763,516    (10.1)%
  Media General Dailies Total
      Retail                                389,934      425,063     (8.3)%
      National                               42,093       55,750    (24.5)%
      Classified                            611,244      679,735    (10.1)%
          Total                           1,043,271    1,160,548    (10.1)%

  *  Advertising is in column inches -- full run only


                             MEDIA GENERAL INC.
                    Daily Newspapers Advertising Linage*

                                                       Year-to-Date
                                               2006        2005   % Change
  Richmond Times-Dispatch
      Retail                                 282,149     278,508    1.3 %
      National                                84,588      92,319   (8.4)%
      Classified                             649,073     699,946   (7.3)%
          Total                            1,015,810   1,070,773   (5.1)%
  Tampa Tribune
      Retail                                 394,185     402,778   (2.1)%
      National                               114,497     138,224  (17.2)%
      Classified                           1,232,977   1,245,296   (1.0)%
          Total                            1,741,659   1,786,298   (2.5)%
  Winston-Salem Journal
      Retail                                 319,068     320,923   (0.6)%
      National                                70,353      77,161   (8.8)%
      Classified                             519,687     562,693   (7.6)%
          Total                              909,108     960,777   (5.4)%
  Community & Associates Dailies
      Retail                               2,983,037   2,946,909    1.2 %
      National                               177,565     262,061  (32.2)%
      Classified                           4,067,486   4,085,417   (0.4)%
          Total                            7,228,088   7,294,387   (0.9)%
  Media General Dailies Total
      Retail                               3,978,439   3,949,118    0.7 %
      National                               447,003     569,765  (21.5)%
      Classified                           6,469,223   6,593,352   (1.9)%
          Total                           10,894,665  11,112,235   (2.0)%

  *  Advertising is in column inches - full run only
Website: http://www.mediageneral.com/



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