Several Companies Mull Tribune Bid

CHICAGO, November 13: A number of companies are interested in
buying the Tribune Company, including the Gannett Company, the largest
newspaper publisher in the U.S., and Maurice Greenberg, former chairman of
insurer American International Group Inc.

According
to The Wall Street Journal,
Gannett executives visited the Tribune Company last week. Tribune also had
informal discussions with MediaNews Group Inc., owner of the San Jose
Mercury News, The Denver Post and The Detroit News,
about certain Tribune assets, including The Hartford Courant.

Tribune's
holdings also include the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles
Times, the Chicago Cubs, WGN-TV
and several other media outlets. Tribune will decide whether to sell all or
parts of the company by the end of the year.

In
response to unhappiness with its lagging stock price, Tribune signaled its
willingness to sell all or part of the company in September and has since
contacted Gannett, MediaNews Group, Hearst Corp., and been in touch with News
Corp., which has expressed interest in Newsday, the Journal reported.

Meanwhile,
The New York Times has reported
that Maurice Greenberg, the former chairman of insurer American International
Group Inc. has been contacting investment bankers and lawyers about pursuing a
possible offer for Tribune or another newspaper company such as The Boston
Globe or perhaps Dow Jones & Co.