Parent Company of Middletown Press Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

The following information is a press release posted on Digital First Media's website.

Digital First Media, which operates MediaNews Group, Journal Register Company and Digital First Ventures, today announced that Journal Register Company filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and will seek to implement a prompt sale.

“We expect the auction and sale process to take about 90 days, and we are pleased to announce the Company has a signed stalking horse bid for Journal Register Company from 21st CMH Acquisition Co., an affiliate of funds managed by Alden Global Capital LLC,” said John Paton, Chief Executive Officer of Digital First Media.

The filing enables Journal Register Company to continue normal business operations during the sale process.

“The Journal Register Company has made solid progress in its digital transformation in the last two years more than doubling its digital audience with 235% digital revenue growth from 2009 to 2011,” said Mr. Paton. “But that transformation is threatened by a decline in print advertising revenue – the Company’s largest revenue source – and legacy costs incurred when Journal Register Company’s total revenues were nearly twice the size it is today. Since 2009 the Company’s pension liabilities grew 52%.”

“Journal Register Company has reduced its overall costs by about 10% while increasing its digital investment by 151% and reduced its debt by 28% from a height of $225 million in 2009,” Mr. Paton said. “However, from 2009-2011 print advertising declined 19% and print is more than half of Journal Register Company’s total revenue.” Print advertising for the newspaper industry declined about 17% over the same time period, according to the Newspaper Association of America. Mr. Paton said Journal Register Company circulation print volume and revenues also shrank over the same period.

“After much consideration, the Board of Directors concluded a Chapter 11 filing was the best course of action for Journal Register Company,” Mr. Paton said. “As difficult as they are, the steps we announced today are steps that will ensure the Company’s future.”

About Digital First Media
Digital First Media (www.DigitalFirstMedia.com) is headquartered in New York City and jointly manages MediaNews Group and Journal Register Company. Digital First Media reaches 61.5 million Americans each month through more than 800 multi-platform products across 18 states.

About Journal Register Company
Journal Register Company is a leader in local news and information in 10 states. The Company’s more than 350 multi-platform products reach an audience of 21 million people each month. For more information visit the Company website at www.JournalRegister.com.

About MediaNews Group, Inc.
MediaNews Group, Inc. (www.medianewsgroup.com) is the nation’s second largest newspaper company as measured by circulation, with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. MediaNews Group and its affiliated companies publish 57 daily newspapers and more than 100 non-daily publications in 11 states.

About Digital First Ventures
Digital First Ventures (DFV) is focused on helping media entrepreneurs incubate, accelerate and validate their start-up companies in the news, content, sales and audience development space. As a division of Digital First Media – which operates more than 800 media products serving 61.5 million customers each month and annual revenues of more than $1.4 billion – DFV is ideally suited to accelerate value creation for media start-ups.