In all of the cities where we have newspapers, we run the business.

Although recruitment and real estate have remained strong all year, we did not see the hoped-for turnaround in auto in August.

That level of cost increase will not be repeated in the fourth quarter.

There were things Gannett wanted to do and things Knight Ridder wanted to do, ... We decided if we could develop an exit strategy that would leave us whole, it would be a positive thing for both parties.

This is a difficult time in so many ways, but in no way greater than having to disrupt the lives and trust of Knight Ridder people with whom we have worked so closely. But I do feel we have no choice.

While the fundamentals of this quarter were disappointing, we took important steps to position our company for a strong future in both print and online publishing, and our accomplishments were significant.

Dealing with a drummer isn't that much different from dealing with someone from IT.

We feel the need to go our own way.

Ad revenue growth in February and March, boosted by the early Easter, was the strongest we have seen since the first quarter of 1998. Our focus on operations, with emphasis on cost control and margin improvement, is clearly paying off.