FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Media General Reports April Revenues

RICHMOND, Va. – Media General, Inc. (NYSE: MEG) today reported April 2003 revenues of $81.7 million, a 1.8 percent increase from April 2002 revenues of $80.2 million. Publishing revenues increased 1.7 percent, Broadcast revenues increased 1.5 percent, and Interactive Media revenues increased 18.8 percent.

In the Publishing Division, advertising revenue was 2.3 percent above April 2002. Revenue growth came from all categories except classified. Advertisers increased their spending slightly as war fears abated.

Retail advertising revenue increased $310,000, or 2.3 percent. Most of the increase occurred in the Tampa market, where growth was robust in several categories. Retail results were mixed in other markets. Overall, strong advertising schedules in the week before Easter and during the last week of the month helped offset softness in other weeks.

Classified revenue was $680,000, or 4.1 percent, below last year. Employment linage at the three metropolitan newspapers remained weak at 17.7 percent below last year. Employment linage was down 15.3 percent in Tampa, 16.2 percent in Richmond, and 26.1 percent in Winston-Salem. Lower employment linage was partially offset by a 5.7 percent increase in automotive linage.

National revenue made a strong comeback in April after a weak first quarter, finishing ahead of April 2002 by $320,000, or 11.1 percent. Both Winston-Salem and Tampa experienced increases from the prior year, while Richmond saw a decline. Strong telecommunications, electronics and healthcare advertising contributed to the overall increase.

Preprint revenue increased from April 2002 by $840,000, or 10.9 percent. The increase occurred across our metro and community newspapers alike.

Circulation revenue increased $60,000, or 0.7 percent, over the prior year. The Tampa Tribune saw the largest increase, at 2.8 percent, the continuing result of growth plans initiated in 2002.

Broadcast gross time sales exceeded last April's sales by $962,000, or 3.5 percent. Time sales growth was driven almost entirely by the increase in the automotive category, which increased 15.7 percent over 2002.

Local broadcast time sales increased $1.2 million, or 7.4 percent, reflecting strength in the automotive, corporate, and specialty store categories. National time sales increased $170,000, or 1.7 percent, the result of strength in the automotive and telecommunications categories, partially offset by soft orders in the drug store category. Political revenues of $360,000 were largely the result of unexpected local issue spending in Tampa.

For the Interactive Media Division, April's revenues were $1.3 million. Strong national and regional revenue drove the increase. The largest share of the division's total revenue continued to come from classified upsell arrangements with Media General newspapers. Value-added classified products, such as Top Jobs, are also producing new revenue in the recruitment category.

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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