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Christine Hennessey
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Walgreen Co. Contact:
Michael Polzin
Walgreen Co.
michael.polzin@walgreens.com
847/914-2925


Tribune Media Net Partners with Walgreens on Multimedia Advertising Package

Multi-million Dollar Agreement Includes Television and Newspaper Advertising

Weekly Health and Medical Program called "Walgreens Presents RxTV"

CHICAGO, October 21, 2002 -- Tribune Media Net, the national advertising and cross-media sales organization for Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), today announced it will partner with Walgreen Co. on a multimedia advertising package valued at several million dollars. The centerpiece of the agreement, a half-hour weekly television program called "Walgreens Presents RxTV," focuses on health and medical news produced by Tribune Broadcasting and sponsored by Walgreens. The program will air Saturday mornings on WGN-TV and WGN Superstation beginning Sat., Nov. 16, at 10:30 a.m. CT.

"Walgreens is a wonderful partner for Tribune, and we’re excited about creating this platform for the nation’s top pharmacy chain," said Dave Murphy, Tribune Media Net president. "With this agreement Tribune Media Net has again demonstrated its ability to craft creative multimedia advertising solutions for innovative customers like Walgreens."

The program’s health and medical news content will be drawn from Tribune’s 24 television stations. It will include topical health and medical news, and be produced and satellite-fed every week from the Tribune Media Center in Washington, D.C. The show’s health-magazine format will include fresh health, fitness and lifestyle topics each week, often seasonal in nature. Other elements of the show will include an "Ask the Expert," which will feature in depth topical health discussions with medical specialists and industry experts.

"Creating high-quality content is what Tribune’s 24 television stations do best. ‘Walgreens Presents RxTV’ will re-purpose our great health and medical reports from around the country and create a dynamic and informative new health program," said Ron Goldberg, Tribune Media Net director. "By airing the show on WGN-TV and WGN Superstation, this programming will potentially reach 59 million U.S. television households in Chicago and nationally via cable."

Under the agreement, Walgreens will promote the show in its thousands of stores, through television commercials and in advertising circulars that appear in Chicago Tribune. Tribune will also promote the show on WGN-TV and WGN Superstation.

"We’re very excited about this agreement," said Craig Sinclair, Walgreens vice president/advertising. "This program gives Walgreens the opportunity to provide timely, relevant information that can help educate our customers. It also allows us to showcase our stores and their products among millions of consumers across the country."

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TRIBUNE (NYSE: TRB) is one of the country’s premier media companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing and on the Internet. It reaches more than 80 percent of U.S. households, and is the only media company with television stations, newspapers and Web sites in the nation’s top three markets. Tribune media outlets span 24 television stations including national “superstation” WGN-TV; 12 market-leading daily newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday; and news and information Web sites in 18 of the nation’s top 30 markets.

Walgreen Co. is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2002 sales of $28.7 billion. The company operates 3,888 stores in 43 states and Puerto Rico, in addition to Walgreens Health Initiatives, which provides mail service prescriptions, pharmacy benefits management and other clinical services.

   
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