FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Media General Reports June Revenues

RICHMOND, Va. — Media General (AMEX: MEG.A) today reported revenues of $61 million for June 2001, down 3.5 percent from $63.2 million in June 2000. Excluding newspaper acquisitions and divestitures, revenues declined 8.2 percent.

Publishing revenues exceeded the prior year by 1.2 percent. Excluding acquisitions and divestitures, publishing revenues were down 6.2 percent. Broadcast revenues decreased 12.1 percent, while Interactive Media revenues increased 7.9 percent.

Excluding acquisitions and divestitures, newspaper advertising revenues declined from June 2000 in the two largest categories. Classified fell 13.9 percent, primarily due to weak employment and automotive advertising. Help-wanted linage in particular was down 40 percent at The Tampa Tribune and 35 percent at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Automotive linage was down throughout the division except in Tampa, where it was significantly higher. Retail declined 3.8 percent as a result of large decreases at the metropolitan dailies and smaller declines among the company's community newspapers.

Excluding acquisitions and divestitures, national advertising was up 1.6 percent as gains in Tampa and Richmond more than offset declines at community newspapers in Virginia and North Carolina. Preprint revenue increased 3.1 percent due to improvements at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Winston-Salem Journal. Circulation revenue was up 2 percent.

Gross television time sales dropped 12.3 percent from the same month last year, with local advertising down 4.6 percent and national advertising down 18.3 percent. The weak national market continues to reflect depressed automotive, telecommunications and entertainment advertising. Local time sales declined because of reduced spending by automotive, furniture and fast-food clients.

In the Interactive Media Division, an up-sell arrangement between TBO.com and The Tampa Tribune generated more than enough new revenue to offset lower-than-expected sales at the company's other online enterprises. Page view totals across the division continue to increase steadily.

About Media General
Media General is an independent, publicly owned communications company situated primarily in the Southeast with interests in newspapers, television stations, interactive media and diversified information services. The company's publishing assets include The Tampa Tribune, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Winston-Salem Journal and 22 other daily newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, as well as nearly 100 other periodicals and a 20 percent interest in The Denver Post. Media General's 26 network-affiliated television stations reach more than 30 percent of the television households in the Southeast, and nearly 8 percent of those in the United States. The company's extensive interactive media offerings include more than 50 online enterprises. Media General also has a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Co., which operates newsprint mills in Dublin, Ga., and Newberg, Ore.

Statistical charts follow:
Revenue Report
Ad Linage Report

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