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Tribune Announces Los Angeles Times
Publisher Succession
Jeff Johnson to succeed John Puerner
as president, publisher and CEO on June 1
CHICAGO, March 22, 2005 -- Tribune
Publishing today announced that Jeff Johnson, executive
vice president/general manager of the Los Angeles Times,
will become president, publisher and chief executive officer
of the newspaper on June 1. He succeeds John Puerner, who
assumed the post in April 2000 as part of Tribune Company’s
acquisition of Times Mirror Company.
"I’ve decided to leave the Los Angeles Times
to take a self-imposed career break after five very rewarding
years here," Puerner said. "I have had rich experiences
at Tribune’s corporate office, the Chicago Tribune,
the Orlando Sentinel and, of course, the Times." Puerner,
53, joined Tribune Company in 1979.
"We are very grateful to John for successfully
guiding the Times since the acquisition and for such strong
leadership throughout his Tribune career," said Scott
Smith, Tribune Publishing president.
"Jeff Johnson has a keen understanding
of the Times’ position
and future potential in the competitive Los Angeles market,"
Smith added. "His personal leadership qualities and
wide range of experience -- both in Los Angeles and prior
assignments with Tribune Company -- make him the best
choice to succeed John."
"I’m honored to be given the opportunity
to be publisher of the Los Angeles Times," Johnson
said. "We
are uniquely positioned in Southern California and will continue
to pursue strategies to expand readership and grow revenue."
Johnson, 45, joined the Times in May 2000 as senior vice
president/general manager. He has played a central role
in the Times’ major initiatives to better serve customers
through the newspaper and its developing businesses. Most
recently, Johnson led a project to expand color pages by
one-third and guided the creation of Value Network, which
allows advertisers to buy inserts in multiple markets and
reach up to 7.5 million households in Southern California.
Prior to the Times, Johnson served as
president and chief executive officer of Landoll, Inc.,
a former Tribune Education company. He joined Tribune’s
corporate office in 1984 and subsequently held positions
at the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel.
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Jeff Johnson biography:
Jeffrey M. (Jeff) Johnson was named executive vice president/general
manager of the Los Angeles Times in February 2005. He will
become president, publisher and chief executive officer of
the Times in June 2005.
In his current role, Johnson is responsible
for the newspaper’s
advertising, operations, circulation, consumer sales, marketing
and planning, community newspapers, and technology and systems.
Previously, he served as senior vice president/general manager
of the Times since May 2000.
In January 2000, Johnson was appointed president and chief
executive officer of Landoll, Inc., a former Tribune Education
company and publisher of educational materials and books
for consumers.
Previously, Johnson was executive vice
president, general manager and chief operating officer
of Landoll, from 1998 to 2000. From 1992 to 1998, he was
vice president and director/operations at the Orlando Sentinel.
Prior to joining the Sentinel, Johnson served at the Chicago
Tribune in various positions in operations, from 1986 to
1992. In 1992, Johnson was co-winner of the Tribune Management
Award for developing and implementing new pre-print zoning
configurations for the Tribune. He worked at Tribune Company’s
corporate office from 1984 to 1986.
Prior to joining Tribune, Johnson worked for KPMG Peat Marwick,
from 1981 to 1984.
A Chicago-area native, born July 23,
1959, Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy at the University
of Illinois and a master’s degree in operations management
at the University of Chicago. He has been involved with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America for nearly 10 years and currently serves
on the board of the Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club.
He is also on the board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.
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TRIBUNE (NYSE: TRB) is one of
the country’s top media
companies, operating businesses in publishing and broadcasting.
It reaches more than 80 percent of U.S. households and is
the only media organization with newspapers, television stations,
and websites in the nation’s top three markets. In
publishing, Tribune operates 11 leading daily newspapers
including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday,
plus a wide range of targeted publications such as Spanish-language
Hoy. The company’s broadcasting group operates 26 television
stations, Superstation WGN on national cable, Chicago’s
WGN-AM and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Popular news and
information websites complement Tribune’s print and
broadcast properties and extend the company’s nationwide
audience.
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