MEDIA MARKET DATA - World Association of Newspapers

United States of AmericaMedia General, a publisher of 25 daily newspapers in the southern United States, swung to aprofit in the first quarter but said stock-option expenses and lower profit in its publishingdivision offset gains in its broadcast and Internet divisions, Reuters reported from New York.Net income for the quarter ended March 26 was $6.7 million, compared with a loss of $316.2million a year earlier, which included a one-time accounting charge of $325 million. Thecompany, which publishes The Tampa Tribune and owns 26 television stations, said revenuerose nearly 4 percent to $226.4 million. It recently agreed to buy four more NBC-owned and -operated TV stations for about $600 million. In its broadcast division, the company benefitedfrom $3.9 million in advertising revenue from the Winter Olympics. It previously saidOlympics revenue was 15.3 percent higher in 2006 than in 2002. Advertising for the SuperBowl, the U.S. football championship, on its three ABC stations also helped.http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2006/04/12/business/gannett.php; April13, 2006United States of AmericaFirst-quarter net income was cut in half at Knight Ridder Inc., the soon-to-be-sold newspaperchain that includes the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. The chain that isbuying Knight Ridder, The McClatchy Co. (MNI) of Sacramento, Calif., plans to sell off theInquirer, the Daily News and 10 other Knight Ridder papers because they are not in growingmarkets. In a statement, Knight Ridder Chairman Tony Ridder said a downturn in operatingprofits was largely caused by "particularly weak" results at the Philadelphia papers and theAkron Beacon Journal. Knight Ridder said it was hurt by weak advertising at the trio ofpapers as well as costs associated with finding a buyer for the company, higher interestexpenses and costs for stock-based compensation. Knight Ridder of San Jose, Calif. -- whichis being sold for $4.5 billion in a deal that includes $2 billion in assumed debt -- said Mondayit earned $28.4 million, or 42 cents per share, down from $60.5 million, or 79 cents per sharein first-quarter 2005. The company said the 42 cents per-share figure included costs of 5 centsper share in stock-based compensation, and 6 cents per share in costs associated with findinga buyer. In the same period last year, the company saw 4 cents per share in profits frompapers in Detroit and Tallahassee, Fla., which the company doesn't own anymore. Revenuerose 3.9 percent to $739.9 million, although the result included three newspapers inWashington and Idaho that the company didn't own in the same period a year ago. A group ofPhiladelphia investors -- including Bruce Toll, vice chairman of home-builder Toll BrothersInc. (NYSE:TOL) of Bensalem, Pa. -- and Los Angeles-based investment firm Yucaipa Cos.are reportedly interested in buying the Philadelphia papers from McClatchy.http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/04/17/daily9.html; April 17,2006United States of AmericaDow Jones & Co. Inc. said first-quarter earnings rose, helped by stronger advertising at TheWall Street Journal, its flagship newspaper, but results fell short of analysts' expectations.Net profit totaled $61.5 million, or 74 cents a share, compared with $8.2 million, or 10 cents ashare, a year earlier. Revenue rose 9.7 percent to $452.2 million. Excluding one-time items,quarterly profit rose to 14 cents per share from 11 cents a year ago. Analysts polled byReuters Estimates on average expected 16 cents a share. First-quarter earnings at thecompany, which also runs Dow Jones Newswires, Barron's, MarketWatch and the Ottawaycommunity newspapers, were lifted by stronger advertising at the Wall Street Journal.Advertising lineage at the U.S. Wall Street Journal, including Weekend Edition, increased10