McClatchy Names Hai Nguyen Controller

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The McClatchy Company today announced that Hai Nguyen, the company's internal audit director, will become the controller effective Feb. 29, 2008. He is replacing Larry Edgar, who announced plans in September to become managing partner of Edgar & Associates, a family-owned business. A search for Nguyen's successor as internal audit director will begin immediately.

Nguyen, 37, first joined McClatchy's corporate finance department in 1997 as an internal auditor after four years in public accounting at regional firms in Northern California. He was promoted to corporate accounting manager in 1998. He left McClatchy in 1999 to join The Sleep Train Inc. as its corporate controller. He returned to McClatchy in 2001 as internal audit director. He is a certified public accountant.

"Hai has worked hard over the past six and a half years in alliance with our newspapers to ensure a strong internal control environment," said Pat Talamantes, McClatchy's chief financial officer. "He is an accomplished accountant and has earned the respect of his colleagues because of his dedication, sense of fairness and willingness to work collaboratively. He will be a great controller for McClatchy."

"I appreciate the opportunity to advance my career at McClatchy," said Nguyen. "I have the utmost respect and admiration for the company and look forward to playing a key role in its transformation into a 21st century news and information company."

About McClatchy

The McClatchy Company is the third largest newspaper company in the United States, with 31 daily newspapers, approximately 50 non-dailies and direct marketing and direct mail operations. McClatchy also operates leading local websites in each of its markets which complement its newspapers and extend its audience reach in each market. Together with its newspapers and direct marketing products, these operations make McClatchy the leading local media company in each of its premium high growth markets. McClatchy-owned newspapers include The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Kansas City Star, The Charlotte Observer and The (Raleigh) News & Observer.

McClatchy also has a portfolio of premium digital assets. Its leading local websites offer users information, comprehensive news, advertising, e-commerce and other services. The company owns and operates McClatchy Interactive, an interactive operation that provides websites with content, publishing tools and software development. McClatchy operates Real Cities (http://www.realcities.com/), the largest national advertising network of local news websites and owns 14.4% of CareerBuilder, the nation's largest online job site. McClatchy also owns 25.6% of Classified Ventures, a newspaper industry partnership that offers classified websites such as the nation's number two online auto website, cars.com, and the number one rental site, apartments.com. McClatchy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.