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Press Release

Madigan continues as Chairman through 2003

CHICAGO, December 3, 2002 -- Dennis J. FitzSimons, Tribune Company president and chief operating officer, has been elected chief executive officer by the company’s board of directors. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2003.

John W. Madigan, chairman and chief executive officer, made the announcement following today’s regularly-scheduled meeting of the board. Madigan also said he will continue as board chairman until Dec. 31, 2003, when he will retire, and that he plans to leave Tribune’s board of directors at the May 2004 annual meeting.

"Dennis has been an outstanding leader throughout his career at Tribune Company," said Madigan. "Since being named president and chief operating officer in July 2001, Dennis has led our business groups through one of the most challenging economic times in recent history. At the same time, he has encouraged growth initiatives such as the creation of Tribune Media Net, our national advertising sales organization, and the recent launch of the Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye edition. He has all the capabilities to lead this company as its chief executive officer."

"Tribune has become one of the nation’s leading media companies because of our competitive and dedicated people, the quality of our journalism and our strong local mass media franchises," said FitzSimons. "Looking ahead, we have many opportunities to grow market share from our established base, and I look forward to this challenge."

Under FitzSimons’ leadership, Tribune Television has become the nation’s third-largest local broadcaster, growing from six television stations in 1992 to 24 stations today. He was instrumental in the development of The WB Network, in which Tribune owns a 22.5 percent interest. Since Tribune’s acquisition of Times Mirror in 2000, FitzSimons has taken a lead role in companywide efforts to increase content sharing, cross sell advertising and cross promote the company’s newspapers, TV stations and interactive businesses. He also is actively involved in the Newspaper Association of America’s Readership Institute, part of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University.

FitzSimons, 52, joined Tribune in 1982 as sales director for WGN-TV, Chicago, and in 1984 was appointed vice president/general manager of WGNO-TV, New Orleans. In 1985, he returned to Chicago as Tribune Broadcasting vice president/operations and in 1987 was appointed WGN’s vice president/general manager. He became president of Tribune Broadcasting Company in 1994.

In January 2000, FitzSimons was named Tribune executive vice president, responsible for the company’s broadcasting, publishing and interactive groups. He was elected to the Tribune board of directors in May 2000 and became Tribune president and chief operating officer in July 2001.

Prior to joining Tribune, FitzSimons served as director/sales and marketing for Viacom’s WVIT-TV, Hartford, Conn. Before that, he was director/advertising sales at Viacom International and New York sales manager for TeleRep, Inc. (a division of Cox Broadcasting). He started his media career at Grey Advertising in New York. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Fordham University.

FitzSimons serves as chairman of the Media Security and Reliability Council for the FCC, and is a director for the Newspaper Association of America and the Television Operators Caucus (TOC), as well as the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Big Shoulders Fund. He serves on the executive committee for The Commercial Club and is a vice president of Chicago’s Off The Street Club. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Northwestern University, the Board of Visitors for the Medill School of Journalism and the board of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

Madigan, 65, became chief executive officer of Tribune Company in May 1995 and was named chairman Jan. 1, 1996. He joined Tribune in 1975 as vice president/chief financial officer and was elected to Tribune’s board of directors that year.

Madigan was appointed president and chief executive officer of Chicago Tribune Company in January 1989 and was named publisher of the Chicago Tribune the following year. From 1991 to 1994, he served as president of Tribune Publishing Company. He was named president and chief operating officer of Tribune Company in May 1994.

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TRIBUNE (NYSE: TRB) is one of the country’s premier media companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing and on the Internet. It reaches more than 80 percent of U.S. households, and is the only media company with television stations, newspapers and Web sites in the nation’s top three markets. Tribune media outlets span 24 television stations including national “superstation” WGN-TV; 12 market-leading daily newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday; and news and information Web sites in 18 of the nation’s top 30 markets.