Philadelphia Media Network Joins Three Media Companies in Introducing Savings Spree! Extended Reach Program

PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia Media Network, Inc. (PMN), the owner and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com, announced today that it has, together with Calkins Media, Inc., the Journal Register Company, and Gannett Co., Inc. formed a Consortium to develop, produce and launch Savings Spree!, an extended reach, free-standing publication serving the Philadelphia region. 

A combined effort by four companies with newspaper publications, Savings Spree! is a new, advertiser program that will provide unmatched coverage in eight counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Camden, Burlington and Gloucester) comprising the Philadelphia market and a portion of the State of Delaware. Savings Spree! will utilize Extended Reach Plus to identify for delivery the most desirable households not currently being reached by Sunday newspaper circulation, which is offered by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bucks County Courier Times, Burlington County Times, Cherry Hill Courier Post, Delaware County Daily Times, The Intelligencer, Lansdale Reporter, Norristown Times Herald, Pottstown Mercury, West Chester Daily Local News, and The Wilmington News Journal. Savings Spree! will be packaged and delivered independent of each of these newspapers.

"Savings Spree! represents an unprecedented alliance with key media companies in the Philadelphia region, providing marketers the opportunity to dramatically increase their penetration of preprinted inserts within the fourth largest media market in the United States," said Greg Osberg, Chief Executive Officer and Publisher, Philadelphia Media Network, Inc. "It's time for our industry to provide innovative marketing solutions for our advertisers and we're proud Philadelphia is leading the way." 

The first phase of the Savings Spree! program launched this past weekend, Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27, with a distribution to more than 158,000 households not currently being reached by advertisers through Sunday newspaper subscriptions. The goal of the program is to reach 60 percent penetration rates within key zip codes most desired by advertisers. 

"We are excited to bring the Philadelphia region this type of innovative approach," said Michael Scobey, Chief Operating Officer of Calkins Media, Inc. "Our Savings Spree! project is a great example of helping our retailers grow their sales through our collaborative efforts in Philadelphia."

"With Savings Spree! our advertisers will have an efficient, non-duplicated way to distribute their inserts to non-subscribers in the greater Philadelphia area," said Tim Dowd, President & Publisher of the Courier Post, a Gannett publication.  "We believe that the 'one-stop, one-shop, one-bill' method of executing extended reach ad buys will be extremely attractive to current and potential advertisers."

"Journal Register Company is pleased to join this Consortium and participate in providing an unmatched comprehensive solution for our advertisers," said John Paton, Chief Executive Officer of Journal Register Company.

About Philadelphia Media Network

Philadelphia Media Network, Inc. (PMN) is the owner of Philadelphia Media Network (Newspapers) LLC, the publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Media Network (Digital) LLC, the owner of philly.com.  With its multiple brand platforms and integrated print and digital products, PMN is the region's largest media network and the industry's technological leader and innovator. The Philadelphia Media Network reaches an average weekly audience of 2.2 million adults – more than the combination of the three evening television news shows or the combination of those radio stations ranked in the top ten during drive-time programming.

About Calkins Media Inc.

In the Greater Philadelphia area, Calkins Media Inc. (CMI) is the owner of the Bucks County Courier Times (PA), The Intelligencer (PA), Burlington County Times (NJ) and phillyBurbs.com. CMI owns five additional newspapers and three ABC affiliate television stations. Our family of media products in the Greater Philadelphia suburbs reaches 66% of the primary market area.

About Journal Register Company

Journal Register Company is the leader in local news and information serving 992 communities in ten states.  The Company's 324 multi-platform products reach an audience of 16 million people each month.

About Gannett

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international media and marketing solutions company that informs and engages more than 100 million people every month through its powerful network of broadcast, digital, mobile and publishing properties. Our portfolio of trusted brands offers marketers unmatched local-to-national reach and customizable, innovative marketing solutions across any platform. Gannett is committed to connecting people – and the companies who want to reach them – with their interests and communities. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.

SOURCE Philadelphia Media Network, Inc.