Los Angeles Times Reports September Circulation

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2004 – For the six months ended Sept. 30, 2004, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday-Saturday average daily circulation of 902,164, a decline of 5.6 percent compared with the prior year, and Sunday circulation of 1,292,274, a decline of 6.3 percent from the prior year, according to figures filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), subject to audit.

Circulation was largely affected by two developments: the impact of the national Do Not Call law on telesales operations and a deliberate decision to reduce third-party sponsored home delivery and single copy bulk sales.

“Historically the Los Angeles Times has been heavily dependent on telemarketing to drive home delivery circulation growth. The September declines primarily reflect the impact of the Do Not Call law,� said John Puerner, publisher. “As we transition to more targeted sales channels, we’re investing heavily in database marketing systems and capabilities to improve our ability to grow readership and target higher-quality circulation through direct mail and other efforts.

“In addition, we’ve made a deliberate decision to reduce less profitable circulation, such as third-party sponsored home delivery and single copy bulk sales,� added Puerner.

The Los Angeles Times remains the largest newspaper in California and the West with 2.4 million readers daily and 3.5 million on Sunday, according to Scarborough’s most recent 2004 release, and still surpasses any other media outlet in the L.A. DMA in terms of the number of households reached.

The Los Angeles Times, a Tribune Publishing company, is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country and the winner of 35 Pulitzer Prizes, including five this year – the second-largest yearly total in the history of the awards. The Times publishes five daily regional editions including the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Orange and Ventura counties, the San Fernando Valley, and an Inland Empire edition covering Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well as a National edition. Additional information about The Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.