Knight Ridder Reports March Linage

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Three newspapers acquired at the end of August 2005 are included in the 2006 numbers, but not in the 2005 numbers. Results for Detroit and Tallahassee, which were sold in the third quarter of 2005, have been excluded from all periods.

Total advertising revenue was up 5.2% for March. Retail was flat, national was down 5.3% and classified was up 15.6%. Help wanted was up 25.7%, real estate was up 35.3% and auto was down 8.6%.

On a pro forma basis, that is, as if the three newspapers acquired in August had been with the company for March 2005 and 2006, total advertising revenue was up 1.6%. Retail was down 3.6%, national was down 5.9% and classified was up 10.7%. Help wanted was up 20.5%, real estate was up 29.3% and auto was down 11.7%.

The remaining numbers reported are GAAP. Total operating revenue was up 4.8% for the month.

Retail was up 10.0% in San Jose, 1.8% in Fort Worth and 0.8% in Charlotte. The other large markets were soft.

National was up 14.4% in Fort Worth and 6.9% in St. Paul, but down in the other large markets. The range of decline was wide: from 1.4% in Kansas City to 18.2% in San Jose. Philadelphia was down 3.7%.

Classified was up in the double digits in most large markets, in a range from up 10.3% in Fort Worth to up 33.1% in Contra Costa. Charlotte and Kansas City, the two markets that grew classified the least, were still up 3.3% and 5.4%, respectively. Akron classified was down 11.3%.

Other revenue was up 1.0%.

Circulation revenue was up 3.6% for the month, but would have been down 0.3% if the acquired newspapers were included in both periods.

Certain statements contained in this report are forward-looking. They are based on management's current knowledge of factors affecting Knight Ridder's business. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated, depending upon -- but not limited to -- the pending acquisition of Knight Ridder by The McClatchy Company, effects of interest rates, of national and local economies on revenue, of the evolution of the Internet, of unforeseen changes in the price of newsprint and of negotiations and relations with labor unions.

Knight Ridder is one of the nation's leading providers of news, information and advertising, in print and online. The company publishes 32 daily newspapers in 29 U.S. markets, with a readership of 8.1 million daily and 11.5 million Sunday. It has Web sites in all of its markets and a variety of investments in Internet and technology companies. It publishes a growing portfolio of targeted publications and maintains investments in two newsprint companies. The company's Internet operation, Knight Ridder Digital, develops and manages the company's online properties. It is the founder and operator of Real Cities (http://www.realcities.com/), the largest national network of city and regional Web sites in more than 110 U.S. markets. Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder Digital are headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

McClatchy plans to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 in connection with the merger transaction with Knight Ridder, and Knight Ridder and McClatchy plan to file with the SEC and mail to their respective stockholders an Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus in connection with the merger transaction. The Registration Statement and the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus will contain important information about Knight Ridder, McClatchy, the merger transaction and related matters. Investors and security holders are urged to read the Registration Statement and the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully when they are available. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Knight Ridder and McClatchy through the Web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov/. In addition, investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus when they become available from Knight Ridder by contacting Investor Relations at http://www.knightridder.com/, by mail to Suite 1500, 50 West San Fernando St., San Jose, CA 95113 or by telephone at 408-938-7838 from McClatchy by contacting Investor Relations at http://www.mcclatchy.com/, by mail to 2100 Q Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 or by telephone at 916-321-1846.

Knight Ridder and its directors and executive officers also may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Knight Ridder in connection with the merger transaction. Information regarding the special interests of these directors and executive officers in the merger transaction will be included in the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus described above. Additional information regarding these directors and executive officers is also included in Knight Ridder's proxy statement for its 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on or about March 24, 2005. This document is available free of charge at the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/ and from Knight Ridder by contacting Investor Relations at http://www.knightridder.com/, by mail to Suite 1500, 50 West San Fernando St., San Jose, CA 95113 or by telephone at 408-938-7838.

McClatchy and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Knight Ridder in connection with the merger transaction. Information regarding the special interests of these directors and executive officers in the merger transaction will be included in the Information Statement/Proxy Statement/Prospectus described above. Additional information regarding these directors and executive officers is also included in McClatchy's proxy statement for its 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on or about March 28, 2005. This document is available free of charge at the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/ and from McClatchy by contacting Investor Relations at http://www.mcclatchy.com/, by mail to 2100 Q Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 or by telephone at 916-321-1846. (FR)

STATISTICAL REPORT - PROFORMA For the period of 02/27/06 - 03/26/06 March Year-to-Date Percent Percent 2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change REVENUE ($000) Advertising - Note 1 Retail 81,589 84,601 -3.6% 252,336 254,336 -0.8% National 26,836 28,527 -5.9% 87,030 95,663 -9.0% Classified 79,773 72,056 10.7% 243,295 226,736 7.3% Total 188,198 185,184 1.6% 582,661 576,735 1.0% Circulation 42,447 42,568 -0.3% 135,912 137,505 -1.2% Other Revenue 7,054 7,067 -0.2% 21,315 21,684 -1.7% Total Operating Revenue 237,699 234,819 1.2% 739,888 735,924 0.5% AVERAGE CIRCULATION (000's of copies) - Note 1 Morning 3,150 3,332 -5.5% 3,148 3,287 -4.2% Evening 150 160 -6.2% 149 159 -6.1% Daily 3,300 3,492 -5.5% 3,297 3,446 -4.3% Sunday 4,355 4,621 -5.8% 4,271 4,468 -4.4% ADVERTISING LINAGE (000's of six-column inches) - Notes 1 & 2 Full-Run ROP Retail 999.9 1,109.5 -9.9% 3,242.9 3,422.7 -5.3% National 223.8 257.0 -12.9% 717.5 824.9 -13.0% Classified 1,468.6 1,449.0 1.4% 4,600.6 4,554.6 1.0% Total 2,692.3 2,815.5 -4.4% 8,561.0 8,802.2 -2.7% Factored Part-Run ROP 196.1 185.6 5.7% 591.5 582.1 1.6% TOTAL PREPRINTS INSERTED 604,091 579,466 4.2% 1,881,821 1,828,344 2.9% Statistical Report - Proforma For the period of 02/27/06 - 03/26/06 March Year-to-Date Percent Percent 2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change FULL-RUN ROP ADVERTISING LINAGE DATA By Markets (000's of six-column inches) - Notes 2 Akron Beacon Journal 93.1 109.1 -14.7% 286.9 346.5 -17.2% Charlotte Observer 109.4 122.8 -10.9% 349.4 381.8 -8.5% Columbia State 93.3 86.3 8.1% 285.8 262.7 8.8% Contra Costa 111.3 106.0 5.0% 356.4 342.8 4.0% Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Journal Gazette 91.1 109.0 -16.4% 300.7 324.1 -7.2% Fort Worth Star Telegram 161.8 157.4 2.8% 508.2 506.5 0.3% Kansas City Star 140.8 148.6 -5.2% 428.5 491.2 -12.8% Lexington Herald-Leader 80.2 85.3 -6.0% 257.8 257.2 0.2% Miami Herald & el Nuevo Herald 176.2 153.7 14.6% 569.9 521.8 9.2% Philadelphia Newspapers 170.0 150.0 13.3% 497.5 531.1 -6.3% St. Paul Pioneer Press 84.2 93.1 -9.6% 245.2 288.1 -14.9% San Jose Mercury News 149.2 152.3 -2.0% 488.5 514.8 -5.1% Wichita Eagle 75.5 79.2 -4.7% 228.4 230.4 -0.9% All Other Dailies 1,156.2 1,262.7 -8.4% 3,757.8 3,803.2 -1.2% Total - Full-Run ROP 2,692.3 2,815.5 -4.4% 8,561.0 8,802.2 -2.7%

Note 1 - Proforma numbers includes Boise, Olympia and Bellingham for all periods as if they had been purchased in January 2005.

Note 2 - Measured by individual Knight Ridder newspapers. Where necessary, certain previously reported linage has been restated to be consistent with measurement guidelines currently in use.

STATISTICAL REPORT For the period of 2/27/06 - 03/26/06 March Year-to-Date Percent Percent 2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change REVENUE ($000) Advertising Retail 81,589 81,610 -0.0% 252,336 245,462 2.8% National 26,836 28,324 -5.3% 87,030 95,059 -8.4% Classified 79,773 69,029 15.6% 243,295 217,558 11.8% Total 188,198 178,963 5.2% 582,661 558,079 4.4% Circulation 42,447 40,963 3.6% 135,912 132,270 2.8% Other Revenue 7,054 6,986 1.0% 21,315 21,426 -0.5% Total Operating Revenue 237,699 226,912 4.8% 739,888 711,775 3.9% AVERAGE CIRCULATION (000's of copies including Boise, Olympia and Bellingham for all periods) - Note 1 Morning 3,150 3,332 -5.5% 3,148 3,287 -4.2% Evening 150 160 -6.2% 149 159 -6.1% Daily 3,300 3,492 -5.5% 3,297 3,446 -4.3% Sunday 4,355 4,621 -5.8% 4,271 4,468 -4.4% ADVERTISING LINAGE (000's of six-column inches) - Note 2 Full-Run ROP Retail 999.9 1,007.6 -0.8% 3,242.9 3,105.9 4.4% National 223.8 251.2 -10.9% 717.5 809.3 -11.3% Classified 1,468.6 1,346.2 9.1% 4,600.6 4,229.6 8.8% Total 2,692.3 2,605.0 3.3% 8,561.0 8,144.8 5.1% Factored Part-Run ROP 196.1 185.6 5.7% 591.5 582.1 1.6% TOTAL PREPRINTS INSERTED 604,091 579,443 4.3% 1,881,821 1,828,272 2.9% Statistical Report For the period of 02/27/06 - 03/26/06 March Year-to-Date Percent Percent 2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change FULL-RUN ROP ADVERTISING LINAGE DATA By Markets (000's of six-column inches) - Notes 2 Akron Beacon Journal 93.1 109.1 -14.7% 286.9 346.5 -17.2% Charlotte Observer 109.4 122.8 -10.9% 349.4 381.8 -8.5% Columbia State 93.3 86.3 8.1% 285.8 262.7 8.8% Contra Costa 111.3 106.0 5.0% 356.4 342.8 4.0% Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Journal Gazette 91.1 109.0 -16.4% 300.7 324.1 -7.2% Fort Worth Star Telegram 161.8 157.4 2.8% 508.2 506.5 0.3% Kansas City Star 140.8 148.6 -5.2% 428.5 491.2 -12.8% Lexington Herald-Leader 80.2 85.3 -6.0% 257.8 257.2 0.2% Miami Herald & el Nuevo Herald 176.2 153.7 14.6% 569.9 521.8 9.2% Philadelphia Newspapers 170.0 150.0 13.3% 497.5 531.1 -6.3% St. Paul Pioneer Press 84.2 93.1 -9.6% 245.2 288.1 -14.9% San Jose Mercury News 149.2 152.3 -2.0% 488.5 514.8 -5.1% Wichita Eagle 75.5 79.2 -4.7% 228.4 230.4 -0.9% All Other Dailies 1,156.2 1,052.2 9.9% 3,757.8 3,145.8 19.5% Total - Full-Run ROP 2,692.3 2,605.0 3.4% 8,561.0 8,144.8 5.1%

Note 1 - Includes circulation copies for Boise, Olympia and Bellingham for all periods.

Note 2 - Measured by individual Knight Ridder newspapers. Where necessary, certain previously reported linage has been restated to be consistent with measurement guidelines currently in use.