Michael LaBonia To Head Star Tribune’s Sales and Strategic Development

Minneapolis/St. Paul - (July 5, 2005) - Michael C. LaBonia has been named senior vice president of sales and strategic development at the Star Tribune, it was announced today by Publisher and President J. Keith Moyer.

LaBonia, 40, comes to the Star Tribune from the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, where he was vice president and managing director for advertising, multi-media and interactive media. Previously, he was the vice president and general manager of WGNO-TV/WNOL-TV in New Orleans.

At the Star Tribune he will be in charge of advertising sales, marketing, strategic planning and research, niche products, the suburban weeklies and business development. LaBonia starts July 25.

“Mike is one of the media industry’s top executives and brightest talents, and we are delighted to have him at the Star Tribune,” said Moyer. “He is a customer-focused executive with a strong record of creating and implementing innovative products and programs. Plus he has an exceptional combination of strategic and practical leadership skills across print, broadcast and interactive media.”

LaBonia, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, has a BA in Communications from Loyola University. In 2003 he was recognized by Presstime Magazine as one of the industry’s top “20 Under 40” executives. He and his wife and two children are in the process of moving to the Twin Cities.

“The Star Tribune and The McClatchy Company are recognized industry leaders, and I’m proud to be joining the team,” LaBonia said. “The Twin Cities is an exceptional market, and I look forward to contributing to the Star Tribune’s future success.”

A photo of Michael LaBonia is available on request.

About the Star Tribune

The Star Tribune Company, a news and information company serving the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, is owned by The McClatchy Company of Sacramento, Calif. (NYSE:MNI). The Star Tribune newspaper is one of the top 20 largest newspapers in the nation, with a daily circulation of 378,316 and a Sunday circulation of 655,198 (per Audit Bureau of Circulation report 03/05). The company’s Web site, www.startribune.com, is the most frequently used local news and information service for the Twin Cities market. The Star Tribune Foundation has been supporting Twin Cities’ communities since 1945 and currently distributes about $3 million annually. On the Net: The Star Tribune Company: www.startribunecompany.com/company/, and The McClatchy Company: www.mcclatchy.com.

Contact Ben Taylor
Phone: (612) 673-7457
Email: btaylor@startribune.com