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Media General reorganizing along geographic lines

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BY JOHN REID BLACKWELL

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Published: March 27, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. - Media General Inc., the parent company of the West Pasco Press and The Suncoast News, is shifting its organizational structure away from the traditional divisions of broadcasting, print and interactive media.

Instead, the Richmond-based company is adopting a new corporate structure that reorganizes its divisions into five geographic markets. The plan goes into effect July 1.

The changes are aimed partly at speeding a shift toward stronger Web-based, interactive content as Media General, like other newspaper and television companies, responds to changes in media consumption that have shifted more advertising dollars online.

"Structuring our business along market lines will provide an even closer connection to our customers, accelerate our Web First strategy and speed decision-making across the enterprise," Marshall N. Morton, the company's president and CEO, said in a statement.

"We will be better able to pursue new opportunities to serve customers beyond our traditional market boundaries, especially using digital media," he said.

Under the new structure, all of the company's businesses in each of its five geographic markets, whether in broadcasting, publishing or interactive media, will report to a market leader.

The geographic markets are Florida, North Carolina, Virginia-Tennessee, Ohio-Rhode Island and the Mid-South, which includes South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

John R. Schueler will continue leading the Florida Communications Group. James A. Zimmerman, president of the broadcast division since 1996, will be president of the Virginia-Tennessee market.

John R. Cottingham, senior vice president of broadcast stations, will become president of the Mid-South market segment. James R. Conschafter, senior vice president for broadcast stations, will lead the North Carolina market segment, and Richard E. Rogala, vice president and general manager of WCMH in Columbus, Ohio, will lead the Ohio-Rhode Island market.

Media General said it will report results under the five operating segments starting with its third-quarter 2009 earnings report.

The company also will have a sixth segment, Interactive Advertising Services, which will include the results of its interactive advertising services companies, Blockdot Inc., DealTaker.com and Net-Informer.

The company also named James F. Woodward, now vice president of corporate human resources, to a newly created position of group vice president, growth and performance, to focus on digital media opportunities and operational excellence.

The company also announced that H. Graham Woodlief Jr., 64, president of the company's publishing division, plans to retire, effective July 1, after 47 years with the company.

Media General publishes 24 daily newspapers and more than 250 weekly newspapers and other publications, mostly in the Southeast.

The company also owns and operates 19 network-affiliated television stations and Web sites affiliated with its television and publishing properties.

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