Sun-Times Media Announces Circulation Report

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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Audit Bureau of Circulations released print and on-line audience performance figures for the newspaper industry, including Sun-Times Media, for the period ending September 30, 2011. Sun-Times Media’s flagship newspaper Chicago Sun-Times and its branded suburban publications performed in line with the Company’s expectations during the six-month reporting period. During this reporting period, Sun-Times Media’s Chicago Sun-Times ranked 12th highest daily newspaper in the country.

For the six-month reporting period ending September 30, 2011, the Company reported total average Monday through Friday paid circulation of 389,353. Average paid circulation on Saturdays and Sundays was 239,368 and 400,506, respectively. These numbers include the flagship Chicago Sun-Times newspaper together with its daily and weekly suburban titles. On a stand-alone basis, the Chicago Sun-Times reported total average paid circulation of 236,371 on Monday through Friday, 201,990 on Saturday, and 233,445 on Sunday. The latest figures for Sun-Times Media are according to the FAS-FAX report released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) early today.

With the introduction of new digital and mobile applications, Sun-Times Media reached a broader audience of over 5 million monthly unique visitors via desktops, mobile and tablet devices, according to the most recent comScore data. The Company continues to expand its digital portfolio by making many of its suburban titles available as E-Papers and Kindle editions and will soon introduce a version of its mobile product for Nook users. In addition, the Company has introduced free mobile applications for Apple and Android devices, which include breaking news alerts, local stories, sports coverage, blogs and columns, and weather information. Downloads for a Chicago Sun-Times free mobile application surpassed 30,000 within the first month of launch.

“Sun-Times Media continues to broaden its readership and viewership audiences across online and print channels,” said Jeremy L. Halbreich, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Sun-Times Media. “We are very pleased with our #12 national ranking for total circulation despite a variety of product eliminations and frequency changes over the past year and we continue to grow steadily in all of our online activities,” he added.

This is the second reporting period that Sun-Times Media has used its single brand strategy. Under the collective name “CRWN” (Chicago Region Wide Network), the Company is better able to communicate its audience to current and prospective advertisers. CRWN reaches a combined print and digital monthly audience of more than 54 percent of the Chicago DMA with award-winning content and customized hyperlocal publications. “No matter how our readers choose to receive their news, CRWN is able to offer its advertisers cross-platform media solutions with the convenience of a single point of contact” said Rick Surkamer, President and Chief Operating Officer for Sun-Times Media.

John Barron, Publisher, stated “We are delighted that so many readers are embracing Sun-Times Media content on all of our varied platforms. And we’re proud that what they're finding is journalism that won more than 140 major awards over the last year, including the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.”

About Sun-Times Media

Sun-Times Media (www.suntimesmediaholdings.com) is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area. Its media properties serve more than 300 communities across the region through 40 print publications and over 40 local web sites. The network features the flagship Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com; plus six suburban daily newspapers, including the Beacon-News (Aurora), Courier-News (Elgin), Herald-News (Joliet), Lake County News-Sun, Post-Tribune (Merrillville, Ind.) and the SouthtownStar; the 3-day Naperville Sun; 32 weekly newspapers published by the Pioneer Press/Doings; web sites for each of the Company’s newspapers, and specialized sites such as RogerEbert.com and YourSeason.com.

Sun-Times MediaJeremy Halbreich, (312) 321-3090[email protected]

Source: Sun-Times Media

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