FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Media General Reports March Revenues

RICHMOND, Va. - Media General, Inc. (NYSE: MEG) today reported March 2003 revenues of $64.2 million, essentially even with revenues of $64.3 million in March 2002. Publishing revenues increased 0.4 percent, Broadcast revenues declined 2 percent, and Interactive Media revenues increased 34.3 percent.

In the Publishing Division, advertising revenue was 0.3 percent above March 2002. Growth in classified and preprints offset soft retail and national advertising. Revenue fell short of the division's growth expectations as the start-up of war in Iraq resulted in cutbacks by some advertisers and a slowdown in ad placements by others.

Retail advertising revenue decreased $660,000, or 6.1 percent, reflecting the impact of war-related cutbacks in the metropolitan markets. The retail category in the first quarter was also adversely impacted because Easter falls in April in 2003. Partially offsetting the shortfall was an increase in the preprint category of $370,000, or 6.5 percent, again mostly in the metropolitan markets.

Classified revenue was $575,000, or 4.4 percent, above last year. Strong increases in the automotive and real estate categories were tempered by a decline in the employment category. Employment linage was down 3.8 percent in Tampa and 9.7 percent in Richmond, and up 2 percent in Winston-Salem.

National revenue was below March 2002 by $430,000, or 16.2 percent, resulting from lower travel-related advertising in Tampa due in part to the war's impact.

Circulation revenue increased $65,000, or 1 percent, over the prior year. The Tampa Tribune saw the largest increase, at 3.9%, the result of successfully implementing an aggressive growth plan starting in mid-2002.

Broadcast gross time sales were $21 million, down $409,000, or 1.9 percent, from last year. The division suffered lost revenues during the month of approximately $1.6 million because of network preemptions, customer cancellations and deferrals related to the war in Iraq.

Local broadcast time sales increased $151,000, or 1.1 percent, due to higher furniture, health care and fast food advertising. National time sales declined $552,000, or 7 percent, primarily because of war-related preemptions and cancellations. Political revenues of $180,000 were generated by a mayoral race in Tampa and a gubernatorial campaign in Kentucky.

The Interactive Media Division finished the month with its highest four-week revenues since its January 2001 inception. The largest share of the division's total revenue came from classified upsell arrangements with Media General newspapers. Additional upsell products such as Top Jobs continue to produce new revenue in the recruitment category. Banner revenue and sponsorship advertising also contributed to growth.

About Media General
Media General is an independent 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.

Charts follow:
Revenue Report
Ad Linage Summaries

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