FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 20, 2002

Media General Reports April Revenues

RICHMOND, Va. — Media General (NYSE: MEG) today reported revenues of $80.2 million for April 2002, up slightly from $80.0 million in April 2001.

Publishing revenues declined 3.5 percent from April of last year. Broadcast revenues increased 7.5 percent, while Interactive Media revenues were up 20.3 percent.

In the Publishing Division, classified revenues increased 0.6 percent. The classified category continued to show weakness in employment advertising compared with the prior year, but April was the third month in a row where employment linage increased over the previous month. Strong automotive advertising in several markets continued to partially offset help-wanted losses. Help-wanted linage decreased 21 percent at the Winston-Salem Journal, 16 percent at The Tampa Tribune and 25 percent at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Retail revenue was 9.3 percent below last year due to the timing of Easter and soft advertising schedules from several large customers. National revenue was below last year by 7.6 percent, primarily because of weakness in the automotive, entertainment and telecommunications categories. Preprint sales increased 5.9 percent, with most of the increase the result of higher volumes in the company's three metro markets. Circulation revenues were down 1.5 percent, excluding the change to independent carriers in Tampa.

In the Broadcast Division, gross television time sales increased 7.2 percent from the same month last year, with automotive advertising leading most of the growth. Local advertising improved 1.8 percent, while national advertising was up 9.7 percent. Political advertising increased to $767,000 from $125,000 in April of 2001.

Revenue for the Interactive Media Division continued to grow and reached the highest monthly total since the new division was launched on Jan. 1, 2001. This growth is due to classified liner upsells and new product introductions. Traffic on the company's Web sites continued to increase steadily.

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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