FIRST PERIOD ADVERTISING REVENUE REPORT TRENTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Feb. 15, 2001 via NewsEdge Corporation Journal Register Company (NYSE:JRC) pro forma advertising revenues for the five weeks ended February 4, 2001 increased 1.0 percent to $23.6 million compared to $23.4 million for the five weeks ended January 30, 2000 For comparison purposes, the Company's results are presented on a pro forma basis, which exclude the results of the Company's dispositions and acquisition from both the current and prior year results. The Company's dispositions include the Suburban Journals, St. Louis, Missouri, sold August 10, 2000; The Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, sold October 24, 2000; and The Times-Reporter, New Philadelphia, Ohio, and The Independent, Massillon, Ohio, sold January 31, 2001. The results of the Company's January 31, 2001 acquisition of Chesapeake Publishing Corporation's New Jersey and Pennsylvania newspapers are also excluded. Pro forma classified revenues increased 2.0 percent led by real estate, up 20.2 percent, and continued strong employment advertising results, which were up 7.7 percent as compared to the prior year period. Automotive was down 10.9 percent for the period. Pro forma retail revenues were down 3.1 percent for the period. Pro forma national revenues continued to reflect strong growth and were up 44.2 percent. "We are very pleased to see the overall improvement in advertising revenue in the first period of 2001 as compared to the twelfth period of 2000 with particular strength in national and classified real estate revenues," said Journal Register Company Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Jelenic. "Classified real estate advertising was very strong in our Greater Philadelphia and Greater Cleveland clusters. We also saw stabilization in retail advertising revenues in the period." The Company had several strong advertising revenue performers for the first period of 2001. In New York, The Saratogian in Saratoga Springs was up 17.6 percent led by strong results in retail and classified real estate; The Record in Troy was up 11.6 percent with strength in retail and classified automotive; and The Daily Freeman in Kingston was up 10.8 percent with strength in classified employment and retail advertising revenues. In central New England, The Times, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and The Call, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, were up 10.6 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively, both with strength in classified automotive and classified employment; The Herald News, in Fall River, Massachusetts, was up 4.3 percent with strength in classified employment and classified real estate; and Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, based in Wakefield, Rhode Island, was up 3.0 percent with strength in classified automotive and classified employment. In greater Philadelphia, Suburban Publications, based in Wayne, Pennsylvani a, was up 7.7 percent with strength in classified real estate and classified automotive; and the Daily Local News, West Chester, Pennsylvania , was up 5.8 percent with strength in classified real estate and classified employment. In Connecticut, The Register Citizen in Torrington was up 5.6 percent with strong results in classified employment and classified automotive. The New Haven Register was down 1.8 percent, which reflects significant improvement over the twelfth period of 2000, particularly in the retail and national advertising categories. On a pro forma basis, the Company's Web sites generated a 26 percent increase in page views in the period as compared to the twelfth period of 2000. In Connecticut, ctcentral.com, the Company's largest regional portal, contributed approximately 1.6 million page views for the period, which reflects a gain of 23 percent as compared to the twelfth period of 2000. Journal Register Company is a leading U.S. newspaper publishing company that owns 22 daily newspapers, including the New Haven Register, Connecticu t's second largest daily and Sunday newspaper, and 162 non-daily publicatio ns. Journal Register Company currently operates 103 individual Web sites featuring the Company's daily newspapers and non-daily publications, which can be accessed at journalregister.com. The Company currently has equity investments in AdOne, LLC, a premier Internet-based classified advertising service, and PowerAdz.com, LLC, a leading Internet infrastructure provider for the newspaper industry. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. These include, but are not limited to, the success of the Company's acquisition strategy, dispositions, competitive pressures and general or regional economic conditions. Additional risk factors are outlined in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. - JOURNAL REGISTER COMPANY (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)