Tribune Company Creates Tribune Interactive Group

Posted on May 21, 1999

Tribune Company has announced the creation of Tribune Interactive, a new group that brings together the interactive functions of the company's four newspapers and 17 television stations, as well as other Internet activities currently performed within Tribune Publishing Company. Jeff R. Scherb, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Tribune Company, will lead the newly formed group. Scherb will retain his responsibility as chief technology officer.

"Our publishing group has built many successful local Internet businesses and also has been instrumental in the creation of national partnerships," John W. Madigan, Tribune chairman, president and chief executive officer, said. "From this solid foundation, we have great potential for creating a profitable business opportunity. The future of interactive is so important that the time has come for it to take its place beside the publishing, broadcasting and education lines of business within Tribune Company."

In addition to continuing to build interactive sites in Chicago, Orlando, South Florida and Hampton Roads, Va., the group will develop new Internet products and services.

"Because the Internet is growing so rapidly, the formation of the new group enables us to execute and grow our interactive businesses quickly," Scherb said. "With a scale of 33 million page views per month and with $25 million to $30 million in revenue, we already have a powerful Internet business, and we're well positioned to continue our leading edge in the interactive world."