LATMG Valassis Press Release

LOS ANGELES TIMES MEDIA GROUP AND VALASSISENHANCE JOINT ADVERTISING INSERT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Nation’s Largest Preprint Program Improves Targeted OptionsWith Integration of Spanish-Language Hoy Fin de Semana Late Week Home Delivery

LOS ANGELES, CA and LIVONIA, MI, January 8, 2008 – The Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) and Valassis (NYSE: VCI), the nation’s leading marketing services company, have strengthened their innovative joint preprint insert distribution program, which currently reaches approximately 5 million households throughout the Los Angeles DMA via shared mail, and carrier delivery to Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Newspaper Group (LANG) subscribers. For the first time, the program will expand to include a Spanish-language publication, offering targeted reach of select Southern California Latino households. Also, the in-home delivery date will strategically shift from Thursday/Friday to Friday/Saturday to better respond to consumer interests and advertiser needs.

Beginning February 1, 2008, LATMG’s Hoy Fin de Semana (FDS) will be integrated into the late-week preprint program. Approximately 500,000 of the shared mail shopLocal/RedPlum (previously known as ShopWise®) wrap and preprint packages will be inserted into FDS and converted to Saturday home doorstep delivery aimed at Latino communities. FDS’s current 350,000 distribution base will increase to 500,000 accordingly and the move will provide advertisers with an unprecedented opportunity to have great impact with an unduplicated buy, selectable at the sub-zip (ATZ) level. In addition, Hoy Fin de Semana’s reputation as the trusted editorial voice for Spanish-dominant households ensures the finely targeted audience will receive the preprint package via a publication on which they already rely for lifestyle, entertainment and shopping information.

“Joining the engaging content and targeted audience reach of Hoy Fin de Semana with the breadth of the successful Valassis/Los Angeles Times/LANG network will be a great thing for consumers and advertisers,” said The Times’ publisher David D. Hiller.

In addition, Los Angeles Newspaper Group’s (LANG) Daily Breeze will join the program, serving the beach city communities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, among others.

“Our commitment to the strengthening of this innovative, joint preprint insert distribution program is a logical step in the penetration of this critical arena in the marketing landscape,” said William Blackmer, Valassis Senior Vice President, Strategic Sourcing. “We are very pleased to continue building our relationships with the Los Angeles Times and MediaNews Group in this important growth market.”

shopLocal/RedPlum, combining inserts from leading retailers across the region into a package with rich content and consumer appeal will be sold independently by each organization. The late week delivery date conversion will now better align with the needs of both advertisers and readers. In addition, sophisticated analysis and methodology provide unduplicated distribution reach amongst Los Angeles Times subscribers, LANG households, FDS readers and mail channels.