Chicago’s Premier Newspaper Group Announces A New, Reader-Friendly
Format, A Refreshing New Design And A Pledge To Increase Local News
Coverage in the Elgin, Illinois, Area
CHICAGO, Dec 26, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Sun-Times Media Group, Inc. (OTCBB:SUTM), continuing its commitment to being the Chicago area’s best source of local news and information, announced today some exciting new format changes to The Courier News, the daily newspaper of record for Elgin, Illinois, and surrounding communities.

The Courier News will be redesigned to contain even more local content, more graphics and more of the intensely local information that Elgin-area residents want and need. The redesigned newspaper will launch on Monday, January 26, 2009 and will be converted into a portable, easy-to-read tabloid format. It will feature more in-depth and investigative reporting, more local features and more names and faces of Elgin-area residents — all reorganized into an easily digestible format perfect for the reader on the go.

The newspaper will also switch publishing schedules to publish every day Sunday through Friday, and will debut a new Weekend Edition debuting on Friday, January 30, 2009, combining all of the news and features found in its Friday and Saturday publications. The Courier News will continue to carry all of the great content readers have come to depend upon, including their favorite columnists, local news and features and sports stories.

“The Elgin area is important to the Sun-Times News Group family of newspapers and Web sites, and to the Chicago region. We believe readers and advertisers will be pleased with a more dynamic and local hometown newspaper,” said Fred Lebolt, President and Publisher of Fox Valley Publications, the publisher of the Courier News.

“On January 26, our readers and advertisers will see a completely redesigned, extremely locally focused Courier News,” Mr. Lebolt said. “The new Courier News will sport an easy-to-read, user-friendly new shape, a dynamic new design and a renewed commitment to be the unsurpassed source of local news, sports and information for the Elgin area. Our Web site, www.couriernewsonline.com, is committed to covering all breaking news as well, meaning Elgin-area readers never have to miss a bit of local news. And moving to a new tabloid format will allow us to better manage our cost structure.”

Advertisers will benefit from greater color advertising possibilities, premium placement opportunities, and the ability to increase the impact their ad will have on the page, said Robert Wall, Vice President of Advertising, Fox Valley Publications. “More attractive ad positions and feature sponsorships will heighten awareness and increase effectiveness of our advertisers’ message. We look forward to partnering with our advertisers on this exciting new path for The Courier News.”

About the Courier News

The Courier News dates back to 1874, when Elgin’s first newspaper was started at the Daily Bluff City. It was absorbed in 1876 by The Elgin Daily News. The Elgin Courier-News was born from a merger of The Elgin Daily News and The Elgin Daily Courier, which was founded in 1884.

About Sun-Times Media Group

Sun-Times Media Group, Inc. is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area. Its media properties include the Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com as well as newspapers and Web sites serving more than 200 communities across Chicago. Further information can be found at www.thesuntimesgroup.com.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” “plan,”or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in reports filed by Sun-Times Media Group with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its Forms 10-K and 10-Q. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on the Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

SOURCE: Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.

Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.
Tammy Chase, Director of Corporate Communications
(312) 321-3230 or tchase@suntimes.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008

News Provided by COMTEX

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