ISS urges Media General stockholders NOT to vote for management's slate of
nominees
ISS notes Media General's extended underperformance to peers
NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbinger Capital Partners Master
Fund I, Ltd. and Harbinger Capital Partners Special Situations Fund, L.P.
(together, "Harbinger Capital Partners") today announced that ISS
Governance Services ("ISS"), the world's leading independent provider of
proxy voting and corporate governance advisory services, has recommended
that stockholders of Media General (NYSE: MEG) vote the GREEN proxy card
and FOR two of Harbinger Capital Partners' proposed directors, F. Jack
Liebau, Jr. and J. Daniel Sullivan, at the upcoming annual stockholders
meeting scheduled for April 24, 2008. Importantly, ISS urged Media General
stockholders NOT to vote for any of Media General's Class A nominees. ISS,
which advises more than 1700 clients worldwide, joins Glass Lewis, another
leading proxy advisor, who earlier also urged Media General stockholders
NOT to vote for any of Media General's Class A nominees.
As part of its recommendation, ISS examined whether Harbinger Capital
Partners had demonstrated that change is warranted and that its dissident
slate would add value to board deliberations by providing a fresh
perspective and different viewpoint. ISS concluded in a report dated April
14, 2008, that the inclusion of two Harbinger Capital Partners nominees
would provide "needed management oversight" and that the "inclusion of Mr.
Daniel Sullivan and Jack Liebau, Jr. would be beneficial to the board."
"We believe that this report validates our view that Media General and
its board of directors will benefit from the outstanding experience,
judgment, independence and accountability our nominees will bring to the
table," said Joseph Cleverdon, Vice President and Director of Investments
at Harbinger Capital Partners. "We strongly encourage stockholders to vote
for all of our nominees in order to provide Media General's board with the
expertise and perspective it needs."
In its analysis, ISS explained the following about Harbinger Capital
Partner's nominees, J. Daniel Sullivan and F. Jack Liebau, Jr.:
* " ... with respect to Mr. Daniel Sullivan, we note that he has
extensive related industry experience having managed, owned or
operated over 60 different television stations in the past 20 years."
* " ... Jack Liebau's equity research experience covering the media and
entertainment sectors provides him with an understanding of key
industry drivers and market valuation of the company."
In its analysis, ISS was critical of the incumbent Class A nominees and
Media General's performance for several reasons, including:
* " ... of the three incumbent Class A nominees, Charles Davis has been
on the board for 19 years, Mr. Walter E. Williams for 7 years...As
such, Mr. Davis and Mr. Williams have been part of the board during an
extended period of below par performance."
* " ... analysis of Media General's financial performance with other
combined media, and pure play newspaper & broadcasters indicate that
the company has consistently underperformed its peers."
* " ... the company's below peer financial performance is reflected in
its stock price. MEG has underperformed its peers over 1-, 3-, and
5-years in terms of Total Shareholder Return for the period ended
March 31, 2008."
* " ... EBITDA and operating profit margins have remained significantly
below that of the peer average."
* " ... Media General's LT Debt/Equity ratio is the highest amongst all
combined media companies."
"Media General is in desperate need of help, and its stockholders
deserve better," added Mr. Cleverdon. "The company's value has been eroded
by more than $1 billion over the last four years and more than $500 million
over the last 12 months. It's time for maximum change."
Harbinger Capital Partners encourages all stockholders to vote for all
of its nominees on the GREEN proxy card at the Media General upcoming
annual stockholder's meeting scheduled for April 24, 2008.
On March 19, 2008, Harbinger Capital Partners filed a definitive proxy
statement with the SEC to solicit proxies in connection with the 2008
Annual Meeting of stockholders of Media General, Inc. to be held on April
24, 2008. Company stockholders are encouraged to read the definitive proxy
statement and other proxy materials relating to the 2008 Annual Meeting
because they contain important information, including a description of who
may be deemed to be "participants" in the solicitation of proxies and the
direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, of the
participants in the solicitation. Such proxy materials are available at no
charge on the SEC's website at http//www.sec.gov. In addition, stockholders
may also obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and other
proxy materials by contacting our proxy solicitors, Innisfree M&A
Incorporated, toll free at (888) 750-5834.
Contacts
Edelman on behalf of Harbinger Capital Partners:
Christopher Mittendorf (212) 704-8134
christopher.mittendorf@edelman.com
John Dillard (212) 704-8174
john.dillard@edelman.com
SOURCE Harbinger Capital Partners
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CONTACT: Christopher Mittendorf, +1-212-704-8134, christopher.mittendorf@edelman.com, or John Dillard, +1-212-704-8174, john.dillard@edelman.com, both of Edelman on behalf of Harbinger Capital Partners
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