State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy through Q3 2009

NPR NEWS SPECIAL COVERAGE OF LIFE, CAREER
OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

NPR OFFERING TWO HOUR-LONG SPECIALS TODAY AT 2PM AND 7PM,
CONTINUING COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON-AIR AND AT NPR.org

August 26, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR News will offer two special programs today looking at the life and career of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who died last night of complications related to a cancerous brain tumor. Both specials will be broadcast on NPR Member stations nationwide, and will be streamed live at NPR.org. For local stations and broadcast times, visit NPR.org/stations.

From 2:00PM to 3:00PM (ET), NPR congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook will host an hour-long call-in special. Seabrook will interview guests about Kennedy’s life of service and influential career in the Senate, and invite questions from the audience. Guests include Congressman Barney Frank, former U.S. Senator John Sununu, professor and scholar Ronald Walters and Thomas Oliphant, who covered Kennedy for 40 years for the Boston Globe. Listeners may join the conversation by calling (800) 989-8255 or sending an email to talk@npr.org

Beginning at 7:00PM (ET), NPR will explore Kennedy’s life – his role as a legislative lion in the Senate; his focus on civil rights, and on fighting for the disenfranchised; and his personal life and struggles – in an hour-long program. Host Linda Wertheimer will be joined by a roundtable offering political analysis on the legacy Kennedy leaves behind, with legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, senior news analyst Juan Williams, health policy correspondent Julie Rovner and political editor Ken Rudin.

In addition to these specials, NPR will continue to cover the breaking news of Kennedy’s death throughout the day on all of its news programs, and online at NPR.org, where there is a complete obituary, a timeline of Kennedy’s life and archival interviews with the late senator.

-NPR-

Portland, 1st of May, 2009

Irwin Hodson Press Announces Their Climate Neutral Printing Certification.
How does it feel to print climate neutrally? Innovative and responsible

Irwin Hodson Press can now offer its clients climate neutral print products. Hereby, all CO2-emissions evolving in the course of a print job will be calculated and neutralized by emission certificates from acknowledged climate protection projects. For Irwin Hodson Press, the possibility to print climate neutrally was yet another step in a broad sustainability strategy. Thereby the focus will continue to be on additional long-term development of the company’s internal environment philosophy and the diminution of the impacts on the climate.

From the carbon footprint to a climate neutral print product
Due to a large sense of responsibility, it is important for Irwin Hodson Press to keep the entry of environmentally relevant greenhouse gases as low as possible. In a printing plant CO2-emissions evolve in the course of the usage of energy, transports, paper, inks, coatings and other factors. The ClimatePartner California Inc. has calculated all the emerging CO2-emissions for the whole company [carbon footprint] and presents guidance for the reduction of emissions by means of the results. With an individualized emission calculator Irwin Hodson Press can report to their client the amount of emissions produced per print project. As an additional service, the emissions can be neutralized by investing in high quality emission-reduction-certificates from acknowledged climate protection projects.  Therefore every brochure, catalog, poster, etc can be printed climate neutrally.

Environmental responsibility – no longer a foreign word
Irwin Hodson Press has been a role model for environmentally responsible activities in the region for a long time.  “We’re not only FSC-certified and participate at the PGE – campaign “Save more, matter more”, but we also support the usage and establishment of renewable energies in Oregon”, says Ken Kozol, Vice President of manufacturing.  Furthermore, the ambitious company has decided to participate in the Climate Leaders-program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which aims at the development of sustainable climate protection strategies from and for enterprises. Also, they have installed the lowest VOC printing process available and offer clients bio-renewable coatings. Therefore the employment of highly efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for the printing plant is self-evident for Irwin Hodson Press. The printing plant is very ambitious to pass the environmental engagement to the employees who are encouraged to carpool, use public transport or ride bicycles to work.

Writing on the wall
“We are proud of our sustained engagement and want to pass this down to our clients”, explains Ken Kozol proudly. “With ClimatePartner we have found a competent resource.” “We are happy to see that Irwin Hodson Press has recognized the value and advocates so actively. ClimatePartner has already gained broad expert knowledge on the European and German market on the topic “sustainable media production” and is a quality leader in voluntary climate protection in the printing industry”, says Katharina Riess, ClimatePartner California Inc.

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For further information please contact:
Climate Partner California, Inc.
730 Montgomery Street
94111 San Francisco, CA
Phone +1 42 42 28 42 27
California@climatepartner.com

ClimatePartner avows itself to be a strategy advisory and application developer in climate protection. With more than 300 consultancy projects for more than 150 clients, ClimatePartner has gained expert knowledge in the topics climate protection and sustainability in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and the USA within only three years. ClimatePartner develops solutions, which are characterized by their integration into the business models of its clients and are thereby scalable, whereby they contribute to an effective climate protection at the same time.  The headquarters of the company are in Munich, Germany. ClimatePartner California is located San Francisco.

NPR HONORED BY WEBBY MEMBERSHIP FOR NPR.org, NPR MUSIC, NPR MOBILE

AND VIDEO DOCUMENTARY SERIES “PROJECT SONG”;

NPR.org, NPR MUSIC AND NPR PODCASTS WIN PUBLIC COMPETITION

May 5, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR has been honored with seven awards in the 13^th annual Webby Awards – more than any other news organization – for NPR.org, NPR Music, mobile and podcasts, it was announced today. NPR was chosen as “Best Radio Site,” “Best Music Site,” “Best Mobile News” and “Best Music Online Video” among the Webby’s digital media membership, and “Best Radio Site,” “Best Music Site” and “Best Podcasts” in the Webby’s public competition.

NPR.org and NPR Music achieved both critical and popular consensus, winning top honors from the Webby’s International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences membership, and also from the public in its separate “People’s Voice Awards” competition. NPR.org complements NPR’s growing weekly audience of 27.5 million listeners, by offering in-depth news and information, extensive audio, video, music, photography and text. This continuing digital media expansion includes an Open API, launched July 2008 and allowing users to freely integrate NPR content, and the NPR Community with approximately 100,000 members since its launch September 2008. NPR Music is a free multi-genre music discovery site that curates original content from NPR and 12 Member public radio stations, including live performances, studio sessions, first listens to new albums, music lists, interviews and blogs.

NPR also won the “Best Mobile News” Webby for its iPhone site, which places world, national and business news alongside local news from NPR Member stations in more than 50 markets; and “Best Music Online Video” for Project Song, an online video documentary series from NPR Music that challenges musicians to write and record an original song in 48 hours in the NPR studios, and films the creative process. NPR Podcasts received a “People’s Voice” award, for offering podcasts of popular NPR programs, a directory of more than 600 public radio podcasts and the ability for users to customize their own podcast.

“We need to meet our audiences wherever they choose to consume news and information, and it’s thrilling to have such a wide range of work recognized in this way – from our around-the-clock news coverage at NPR.org, to the customizable mobile site for iPhone users, to multi-genre music discovery unlike anything else out there,” said Kinsey Wilson, senior vice president and general manager of NPR Digital Media.

The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Web sites. This year’s contest received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Winners will be recognized at a ceremony on June 8 in New York City. A full list of winners is available at: www.webbyawards.com

-NPR-

Challenge is to Improve Digital Radio Coverage

and Protect Today’s Analog FM Services

April 2, 2009, Washington – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded a grant to NPR Labs to undertake an expedited Advanced Digital Radio Coverage and Compatibility Study to improve innovative HD Radio ^TM services. The study will establish industry recommendations for the amount of power increase needed to improve digital radio coverage while protecting the existing analog FM system and its subcarriers, which serve more than 32 million public radio and 239 million total FM radio listeners each week. (Source: ACT1 based on Arbitron Nationwide, Persons Using Radio, Fall 2008, Persons 12+, Mon.-Sun Midnight-Midnight)

The new study will seek to determine how to maximize HD coverage while minimizing interference with essential analog FM radio services.  It will build on earlier research by NPR Labs of digital radio coverage, also funded by CPB. The earlier study revealed that FM services would experience a high level of interference from HD signals in some areas, if the needed power increase was not closely managed.

“We’re pleased CPB has selected NPR Labs to expedite a detailed technical analysis so we can resolve these critical issues,” said Vivian Schiller, NPR President and CEO. “NPR is committed to advancing HD Radio ^TM and protecting the quality of the listening experience for all of our audiences.  If the power increase is not carefully managed, NPR member stations risk losing audience to signal interference.”     

“It’s absolutely critical that industry guidelines are established to ensure a well-managed and responsible power increase that maintains universal service for public radio stations,” said Bruce Theriault, CPB Senior Vice President for Radio.  “The industry collaboration involved in this study will generate technical data needed to inform decision-making on best options for elevated digital radio power levels.”

The $350,000 study is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2009 with findings presented to CPB, FCC and the broader industry in time for the National Association of Broadcaster’s Radio Show in Philadelphia in September 2009.

NPR Labs is working with representatives from CPB and several major commercial radio entities, as well as representatives from public radio stations with major investments in digital radio.  Major participants with digital operations include American Public Media and Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul; WABE-FM, Atlanta; WAMU-FM, Washington; WBGO-FM, Newark; WDUQ-FM, Pittsburgh; WFAE-FM, Charlotte; WNYC-FM, New York; WTMD-FM, Towson/Baltimore; WVXU-FM, Cincinnati; WUKY-FM, Lexington, KY; WUSF-FM, Tampa; KJZZ-FM, KBAQ-FM, and SunSounds Radio Reading Service, Phoenix; KQED-FM, San Francisco and KQEI-FM, Sacramento; and  KUHF-FM, Houston.

Industry associations participating in the study include: the Consumer Electronics Association, the North American Broadcasters Association, the International Association of Audio Information Services, and the Association of Public Radio Engineers.

About NPR Labs

NPR Labs’ mission is to identify, evaluate, and advance the application of innovative technologies in support of the public service mission of NPR and our member stations. A unit within NPR, NPR Labs is the nation’s only not-for-profit broadcast radio technology research and development center. The unit works daily on technical research projects supporting the interests of public radio stations across the country. For more information, visit www.nprlabs.org

About NPR’s Digital Radio Initiative

This technology enables station operators to split their broadcasts up into multiple channels, providing several digital-quality channels for their audiences. Additional uses of NPR’s digital radio initiatives leverage advanced technologies for those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing that will expand captioning to the radio dial. Specially equipped HD Radio™ receivers are in development that will provide the audiences with visual disabilities with better access to radio, such as receivers with audio prompts that speak the digital displays, notifying users which direction the tuner is scanning, what channel the radio is on, what command has been executed, and employing larger, easier-to-read text displays.

More than 1,900 radio stations are currently broadcasting in HD Radio ^TM in the United States including over 475 public radio stations, most of them members of NPR. Over half of the CPB-qualified stations have been awarded HD Radio ^TM conversion grants by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

More information on the initiative can be found at www.i-cart.net

About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1000 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related on-line services.

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Media Relations Contact: Danielle Deabler, ddeabler@npr.org 202-513-2303

NATIONAL JOURNALISM AWARD

FOR FOUR-PART SERIES “DIRTY MONEY”

NPR’S JOHN BURNETT RECEIVES JACK R. HOWARD AWARD,

MARKING EXCELLENCE IN RADIO REPORTING

March 13, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR News has been honored with the Scripps Howard Foundation’s National Journalism Foundation Award for “Dirty Money,” an enterprising four-part series investigating the drug money that flows along America’s highways from NPR News correspondent John Burnett.  Burnett shares the 2008 Jack R. Howard Award for “Excellence in Radio Reporting” with National Desk Editor Quinn O’Toole, National Desk Producer Marisa Penaloza and Digital News Editor Tanya Ballard-Brown.  The Jack R. Howard Award recognizes and celebrates the year’s best work in journalism.

The series, which aired in June 2008 on NPR News’ Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, examined law enforcement’s pursuit of suspected drug money, which they can confiscate without filing charges against the person carrying it.  Local police and sheriffs get to keep a portion of the cash.  Complete audio of the award-winning series is available at:www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91856663

With reporting in Texas, Alabama and Georgia, Burnett revealed that some local law enforcement agencies have become more interested in seizing money than stopping the flow of drugs. Burnett found case after case of misused forfeiture funds, with departments using the money to pay for awards banquets and Christmas parties, leases of vehicles and a margarita machines.

Burnett is no stranger to covering the drug war.  In 2007, he was the lead reporter on NPR News’ 7-part series “The Forgotten War,” which examined the state of America’s war on drugs.  His “Cocaine Republics” series in 2004 detailed the emergence of Central America as a major drug smuggling region.

The 55th annual National Journalism Awards will be presented at a ceremony on April 24 in Washington, D.C. The National Journalism Awards are granted by the Scripps Howard Foundation, recognizing and aiming to advance the free press through excellence in journalism.  This is the second National Journalism Award for NPR.

-NPR-

For Immediate Release: New Newspaper Revenue Strategies For 2009

ATLANTA- – Attendees to this year’s Newspaper Association of America’s annual conference in Las Vegas number one priority is to keep pace as traditional print advertising comes under increasing pressure.

The National Post, a leading Canadian newspaper daily owned by CanWest with assets that include The Financial Post and nine local dailies reaching 4.8 million readers on a weekly basis, was looking for a way to bridge the value gap that clients perceived between print and online assets. What Jonathan Harris, Executive Director of the National Post did was to launch a new type of revenue  generation and sponsorship program with business content that appealed to readers and strengthened the clients perception of the value of print and online as a complete package.

The effort resulted in The National Post’s “Be A Stock Star” revenue generation and sponsorship campaign in partnership with The Stock-Trak Group. Harris turned to The Stock-Trak Group in early 2008 and its leading online financial edutainment platform, WallStreetSurvivor.com, to help create a unique and highly targeted advertising program that would leverage CanWest’s print and online assets without any up front capital investment for The National Post.

The Stock-Trak Group, in partnership with The National Post, launched the largest financial education and entertainment stock market challenge ever in Canada. Business editors supplied content that was salient to what was occurring in the economy and packaged that content as a first-to-market, real-time, online stock market simulation featuring equities and mutual funds, in which 35,000 players competed for significant cash and prizes.

Stock Star has been as a source of consumer engagement, business-section revitalization and a recurring event that has already netted $600,000 in advertising and sponsorship dollars in 2008. To learn more about how you can benefit from this type of program download a short PDF and see how your paper can benefit without any capital risk whether you have 5,000 or 1,000,000 readers.

Download the PDF: http://images.stocktrak.com/images/stockstar_rev_gen_program.pdf

Tel: + 1 514 871 2222 X232.  
E-mail:treti@stocktrak.com
Booth 2041 – NAA mediaXchange 2009

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About Stock-Trak

For 17 years, Stock-Trak has been the leading provider of educational and entertaining stock market simulations and contests. Stock-Trak’s customized stock challenges present an additional advertising opportunity, generate tremendous web traffic, and are an excellent tool for a newspaper’s website retention and stickiness.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          

Contacts:
Callaway Zuccarello                                                                       
Callaway & Company
Phone: 314.862.4300                       
E-mail: callaway@secondstreetmedia.com

Peter Conti
Borrell Associates
804.360.9434
pconti@borrellassociates.com            

“Online Promotions to Triple by 2012 – Are You Ready to Profit?” Free Webinar to be Hosted by Borrell Associates and Second Street Media

St. Louis, MO – Feb. 18, 2009 – Second Street Media Solutions announced today that it is sponsoring a free Webinar for local media management to learn how they can profit from the exponential growth of online contests and promotions.

 Called “Online Promotions to Triple by 2012 – Are You Ready to Profit?” the Webinar will be held on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. CST and is co-hosted by local advertising expert Borrell Associates.

 While traditional forms of interactive advertising such as banner ads are experiencing significant declines, online promotions and contests are booming with local advertisers and their advertising dollars.

 “Online contests are the silver lining in local advertising today – the story local media have been looking for,” said Borrell Associates Senior VP Peter Conti. “Because online contests are drawing readers to interact with and embrace media sites, they are a critical and fast-growing tool for generating online ad dollars today.”

 To participate in the Feb. 24 webinar, and learn how to leverage contesting to grow your ad profits, reserve your Webinar seat at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/164881361

 About Second Street Media Solutions:

 Through the UPICKEM Custom Contest Engine, Second Street Media Solutions provides revenue-generating and audience-building contesting software to hundreds of the nation’s largest media companies, promotions agencies and corporations. For more information, visit www.secondstreetmedia.com/upickemhome.aspx

 About Borrell Associates:

 Borrell Associates is the leading provider of local advertising research, data and strategic analysis. Borrell serves hundreds of media companies with detailed market advertising reports including WebAudit™, Local Ad $pending™ (LA$R™) and custom reports for the U.S., Canadian and U.K. markets. For more information, please visit www.borrellassociates.com.

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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

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