Media General followed the newspaper publisher trend of reaching profitability through cost cutting in Q4, as publishing revenues in general continued to decline, albeit more slowly. In part, the slowing decline can be attributed to the 11 percent growth in digital revenues, as local and national online ad dollars leaped…

Media General (NYSE: MEG) posted a net loss for Q4 of $85.5 million ($3.86 per diluted share) on a pre-tax impairment charge of $130.4 million ($83.1 million after-tax). This is a turnaround from last year, when the Richmond, VA-based newspaper company said that Publishing Division profit plummeted 57.2 percent from…

Looks like Media General (NYSE: MEG) reaped the most benefits possible from the politics-Olympics combo in Q3 but it will be a tough performance to repeat. Under fire from activist investor Harbinger and others, the company nearly tripled earnings—$6.1 million, or $.28 per share, compared with $2.5 million, or $.11…

For newspapers, any news that’s not terrible is considered a win… Take NYTCo (NYSE: NYT), which yesterday reported a 14 percent decline in August revenue, but a decent 7.9 percent gain online. Its stock shot up nearly 12 percent, the kind of upward move you just don’t see among newspaper…

—AP: As expected, some newspapers are pulling out following the much-discussed rate changes for the co-op. At the same time, even papers getting a rate break are looking at the AP as one place where they can save costs. The Spokesman-Review is trying to decamp before its required two-year notice…

From our we-kill-ourselves-so-you-don’t-have-to department, the mind-numbing details of some recently filed 10-Qs: —McClatchy: Certain McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) internet properties are in decline. Last month, the company confirmed that it was selling its stake in ShopLocal to Gannett (NYSE: GCI), and as we noted, the transaction marked a sharp decline in…

Here’s the latest rough newspaper quarter: Media General (NYSE: MEG) announced Q2 revenue of $204.8 million, a decrease of 10 percent from $228.2 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating income was more than cut in half, falling to $10.1 million from $23.8 million. Net income form continuing operations fell to…

By the beginning of Q3, Media General (NYSE: MEG) says it will have dropped the equivalent of 750 full-time jobs from its payroll—saving an estimated $40 million—and added 60 in interactive. At the same time, the company, under fire by activist shareholder Harbinger, said revenues in its interactive division rose…

Harbinger, the activist fund going after Media General (NYSE: MEG), has successfully installed three representatives to the company’s board. The newspaper publisher announced the successful election of all three nominees, pending an official count: Eugene I. Davis, J. Daniel Sullivan and F. Jack Liebau, Jr. Results will be made official…

Media General (NYSE: MEG), locked in a bid to fend off an activist investor group, reported Q1 revenue of $194.4 million, 11 percent lower than the $218.2 million from the year-ago period. The company booked a net loss from continuing operations of $9.8 million ($.44 per share), up from a…

It looks like everything is breaking in Harbinger’s direction, in its effort to get its slate on the Media General (NYSE: MEG) board. In a letter filed this morning, Mario Gabelli, a 22 percent shareholder, confirmed that he would be backing the full Harbinger slate. Gabelli, who earlier this month…

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) has settled with Harbinger but the Media General (NYSE: MEG) beatdown goes on ... MEG CEO Marshall Morton says Media General is not a newspaper company, a broadcast company, or even a podcast company (he really said that; this is not an April…

—Lee Enterprises: E&P takes a look at the goodwill writedowns across the newspaper industry, as acquisitions have consistently failed to live up to plans. Every time there’s a goodwill writedown, the company is sure to note that it’s a non-cash charge and doesn’t effect operations, but it’s still indicative of…

Just as the NYTCo (NYSE: NYT) settled its differences with Harbinger, Media General is ratcheting up the war of words. In a letter sent to shareholders, filed with the SEC, the company lays it out: “Your Board’s Nominees Are the Right Directors… Harbinger’s Nominees Are NOT the Right Answer for…

Harbinger Capital has submitted its preliminary proxy statement in its attempt to get three nominees on the board of Media General (NYSE: MEG). The filing comes over a week after the company’s own proxy was filed, which urged shareholders to disregard Harbinger’s names. Of course, the back and forth is…

The world’s going crazy with 10-K’s…and we’re making it easy for you. Our motto, just in case you didn’t know: We kill ourselves, so you don’t have to. Some of the main ones below with some relevant points culled out: —Getty (NYSE: GYI) Images: The images company is in the…

Some fresh data for the first month of the year from a handful of newspapers… Note that two of them, Media General (NYSE: MEG) and Gannett (NYSE: GCI), have announced changes to the way they report, offering less info on print, ostensibly because of the increased importance of digital. Neither,…

And while media companies are rethinking the big comparison shopping sites within their portfolio, some are going small in their hunt. Newspaper publisher Media General (NYSE: MEG) is acquiring DealTaker.com, a social comparison shopping service. The Plano, TX-based site was stared by Neal Rapaport and is organized under his firm…

Despite claims that it’s on a turnaround path, Media General’s (NYSE: MEG) latest quarterly report won’t do much to shake off the activist investors looking to make changes at the newspaper publisher. Q4 revenue declined 16 percent to $243 million, from $289 million in the year-ago period. The company attributed…