Media General Reports September 2007 Revenues

Media General Reports September 2007 Revenues

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Media General, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) today reported September 2007 total revenues of $73.7 million, a 7.3 percent decrease from September 2006. By business segment, Publishing Division total revenues decreased 7 percent, mostly reflecting continued weakness in Classified advertising; Broadcast Division total revenues decreased 9 percent, due to lower Political advertising in this off-election year; and Interactive Media Division total revenues rose 25.7 percent.

Publishing Division

Newspaper advertising revenues in September decreased $3.3 million, or 8.7 percent, with more than 85 percent of the decline attributable to the Tampa market.

Classified advertising revenues decreased $2.6 million, or 15.7 percent. The majority of the reduction was due to weakness in the Tampa market, which was below last year by 35.3 percent. Classified revenues in the Richmond market increased 4.8 percent, due to higher real estate advertising as well as a nominal increase in automotive revenues, offset partially by lower help-wanted revenues. The Winston-Salem market saw a 3.5 percent reduction, as automotive advertising revenues were down, partially offset by higher employment and real estate revenues. The Community newspaper markets decreased 9.4 percent.

For the company's three metro markets, real estate revenues were down 21.4 percent, employment revenues decreased 15.7 percent, and automotive revenues declined 20.2 percent.

Retail advertising revenues declined by $530,000, or 3.1 percent. The Tampa Tribune and its associated newspapers reported a 3.5 percent decrease, due to lower spending in the home improvement, home furnishings, grocery store and department store categories, partially offset by higher revenues from new product initiatives. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and its associated weekly newspapers saw a 9.4 percent revenue decline, as a result of decreases in department store, drug store and home improvement advertising. In Winston-Salem, Retail revenues declined 3.7 percent, reflecting lower spending in the home improvement and department store categories, partially offset by higher revenues from new products. The Community newspaper group generated a 1.4 percent increase in Retail advertising revenues, with growth in the North Carolina, Lynchburg and Alabama markets.

National revenues decreased $100,000, or 3.1 percent, due to a 14.8 percent decline at Tampa, the result of lower advertising in the media, travel and telecommunications categories. Conversely, the Richmond market generated an 11.1 percent increase, primarily the result of higher spending in the telecommunications and national automotive categories as well as increased advertising from three major oil companies. National revenues in Winston- Salem rose 17 percent, reflecting increased spending by travel and preprint advertisers and additional spending from a major oil company.

Circulation revenues were down $100,000, or 1.6 percent, as Daily and Sunday net-paid circulation declines for the month were partially offset by rate increases at the metro newspapers. Seven Media General newspapers

generated increases in net-paid Daily Circulation, and eight did so for Sunday.

Broadcast Division

In the Broadcast Division, gross time sales decreased $3.5 million, or 10.1 percent, due to lower Political spending in this off-election year. Political revenues of $1.4 million in the month, although stronger than anticipated, compared to $6.8 million last September and represented spending for Presidential candidates and image campaigns in the current year in Florida and South Carolina, gubernatorial and lieutenant governor races in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as issue advertising in Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia.

Local time sales increased $635,000, or 3.5 percent, primarily due to higher spending in the automotive, department store and media categories, partially offset by lower furniture and fast food advertising.

National time sales rose $1.3 million, or 12.8 percent, as a result of higher spending in the telecommunications, corporate and furniture categories.

Interactive Media Division

Interactive Media Division revenues increased 25.7 percent, reflecting significantly higher revenues from the advergaming business, strong growth in National/Regional and Local advertising and revenues from the Yahoo!HotJobs employment initiative. Classified revenues rose 2 percent, with all markets exceeding last year except for Tampa. Revenues from the Yahoo!HotJobs initiative helped mitigate the overall softness in online Classified advertising.

Local online revenues grew 44.2 percent over 2006, primarily due to a continued focus on direct sales. National/Regional advertising increased 51.4 percent, reflecting higher spending from national agencies. Advergaming revenues more than doubled from last year. Page views were down slightly from last year, while visitor sessions increased 3.5 percent, excluding the new NBC station Web sites. These results reflected fewer weather-related events this year, which are leading traffic drivers.

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 include 23 network-affiliated television stations that reach more than 32 percent of the television households in the Southeast and nearly 9.5 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                                            2007         2006      % Change    Revenues (000)                        $    73,717  $    79,499    (7.3)%         Publishing                           41,322       44,433    (7.0)%         Broadcast                            30,006       32,989    (9.0)%         Interactive Media                     3,024        2,406    25.7 %         Eliminations                           (635)        (329)  (93.0)%          Discontinued Operations(1)              ---        3,632       ---     Selected Publishing Revenues (000)       By Category         Advertising                     $    34,146  $    37,413    (8.7)%            Classified                        13,873       16,465   (15.7)%            Retail                            16,690       17,222    (3.1)%            National                           2,995        3,090    (3.1)%            Other                                588          636    (7.5)%         Circulation                           5,962        6,060    (1.6)%       By Property         Richmond                             10,493       10,641    (1.4)%         Tampa                                11,575       14,149   (18.2)%         Winston-Salem                         4,103        4,202    (2.4)%         Community Newspapers                 14,893       15,237    (2.3)%     Advertising Revenues (000)         Richmond                        $     8,336  $     8,463    (1.5)%         Tampa                                 9,991       12,900   (22.6)%         Winston-Salem                         3,260        3,373    (3.4)%         Community Newspapers                 12,308       12,481    (1.4)%     Broadcast Time Sales (gross) (000)    $    31,482  $    35,028   (10.1)%         Local                                18,860       18,223     3.5 %         National                             11,260        9,982    12.8 %         Political                             1,362        6,823   (80.0)%     Selected Online Total Page Views         Total Web Sites(2)               46,971,840   47,417,542    (0.9)%               (Excluding Game Sites)         TBO.com                          18,603,977   19,810,362    (6.1)%              (Tampa, Fla.)         inRich/TimesDispatch.com          8,419,089   10,067,145   (16.4)%              (Richmond, Va.)         JournalNow.com                    3,497,785    3,575,253    (2.2)%            (Winston-Salem, N.C.)                                                       Year-to-Date                                            2007         2006      % Change    Revenues (000)                       $    701,796 $    688,493     1.9%         Publishing                          407,655      439,928    (7.3)%         Broadcast                           272,317      233,176    16.8%         Interactive Media                    27,119       20,039    35.3%         Eliminations                         (5,295)      (4,650)  (13.9)%          Discontinued Operations(1)              ---       30,513     ---     Selected Publishing Revenues (000)       By Category         Advertising                    $    337,086 $    369,021    (8.7)%            Classified                       142,005      167,995   (15.5)%            Retail                           161,568      164,652    (1.9)%            National                          28,810       30,768    (6.4)%            Other                              4,703        5,606   (16.1)%         Circulation                          58,795       60,697    (3.1)%       By Property         Richmond                            101,883      103,592    (1.6)%         Tampa                               120,978      146,147   (17.2)%         Winston-Salem                        37,815       39,943    (5.3)%         Community Newspapers                145,257      148,659    (2.3)%     Advertising Revenues (000)         Richmond                       $     81,027      $81,604    (0.7)%         Tampa                               105,060      132,501   (20.7)%         Winston-Salem                        29,857       31,972    (6.6)%         Community Newspapers                119,609      121,438    (1.5)%     Broadcast Time Sales (gross) (000)   $    282,882 $    238,653    18.5 %         Local                               174,021      143,804    21.0 %         National                            104,688       79,066    32.4 %         Political                             4,173       15,783   (73.6)%     Selected Online Total Page Views         Total Web Sites(2)              446,928,507  415,410,710     7.6 %               (Excluding Game Sites)         TBO.com                         169,585,889  156,794,121     8.2 %              (Tampa, Fla.)         inRich/TimesDispatch.com         91,255,383  100,343,473    (9.1)%              (Richmond, Va.)         JournalNow.com                   34,534,301   32,403,208     6.6 %            (Winston-Salem, N.C.)     Notes:  All data are subject to later adjustment.   (1) Revenues from certain broadcast and interactive media operations that       the Company divested in 2006.   (2) Web site page views exclude four NBC sites purchased in 2006 that were       previously hosted by a third party.                               MEDIA GENERAL, INC.                    Daily Newspapers Advertising Linage*                                                       September                                            2007         2006      % Change   Richmond Times-Dispatch       Retail                                 26,583       29,986    (11.3)%       National                                8,439        8,103      4.1 %       Classified                             68,732       62,936      9.2 %           Total                             103,754      101,025      2.7 %   The Tampa Tribune       Retail                                 36,757       39,037     (5.8)%       National                                7,386        9,548    (22.6)%       Classified                             79,090      113,916    (30.6)%           Total                             123,233      162,501    (24.2)%   Winston-Salem Journal       Retail                                 28,983       34,065    (14.9)%       National                                7,065        7,110     (0.6)%       Classified                             41,541       52,151    (20.3)%           Total                              77,589       93,326    (16.9)%   Community Dailies       Retail                                307,342      286,846      7.1 %       National                               16,417       17,332     (5.3)%       Classified                            375,217      382,241     (1.8)%           Total                             698,976      686,419      1.8 %   Media General Dailies Total       Retail                                399,665      389,934      2.5 %       National                               39,307       42,093     (6.6)%       Classified                            564,580      611,244     (7.6)%           Total                           1,003,552    1,043,271     (3.8)%                                                      Year-to Date                                            2007         2006      % Change   Richmond Times-Dispatch       Retail                                270,357      282,149     (4.2)%       National                               83,755       84,588     (1.0)%       Classified                            626,906      649,073     (3.4)%           Total                             981,018    1,015,810     (3.4)%   The Tampa Tribune       Retail                                372,402      394,185     (5.5)%       National                               81,979      114,497    (28.4)%       Classified                            852,685    1,232,977    (30.8)%           Total                           1,307,066    1,741,659    (25.0)%   Winston-Salem Journal       Retail                                264,462      319,068    (17.1)%       National                               68,096       70,353     (3.2)%       Classified                            457,251      519,687    (12.0)%           Total                             789,809      909,108    (13.1)%   Community Dailies       Retail                              2,930,473    2,983,037     (1.8)%       National                              165,736      177,565     (6.7)%       Classified                          3,841,098    4,067,486     (5.6)%           Total                           6,937,307    7,228,088     (4.0)%   Media General Dailies Total       Retail                              3,837,694    3,978,439     (3.5)%       National                              399,566      447,003    (10.6)%       Classified                          5,777,940    6,469,223    (10.7)%           Total                          10,015,200   10,894,665     (8.1)%    *  Advertising is in column inches -- full run only  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: mgoodhead@mediageneral.com

Source: Media General, Inc.

CONTACT: Investor Contact, Lou Anne J. Nabhan, +1-804-649-6103; or Media
Contact, Ray Kozakewicz, +1-804-649-6748

Web site: http://www.mediageneral.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment