ATLANTA – February 18, 2010– AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace, will increase the reach of its auto listings in Los Angeles – one of the largest auto markets in the country – with a partnership with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.  LANG operates nine daily newspapers serving more than 1.5 million readers and the LA.com Network at www.langnews.com, which reaches more than 3.6 million unique visitors a month. Under terms of the agreement, AutoTrader.com will power the classified auto listings of the LA.com Network and the individual newspapers’ web sites.

Visitors to LANG’s “AUTOS” sections will have access to local and national inventory of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles for sale from dealers and private sellers listed for sale on AutoTrader.com.  Consumers will also be able to access AutoTrader.com’s extensive automotive content to research cars, compare prices, read auto reviews and review other auto-related information.

In addition, the agreement allows private sellers a combination package made up of both print and online ads.  The online portion of the package includes a basic online ad that will be live on the AutoTrader.com website, including one photo.  LANG will offer an online only option that will link users directly back to the AutoTrader.com website. 

“This partnership adds to our current presence in the LA area, including our sponsorship of the LA Auto Show and the Angels of Anaheim,” said AutoTrader.com President & CEO Chip Perry.  “This partnership builds on everything else we are doing to drive more Los Angeles auto shoppers to our site and to our dealer and private seller listings.  We are excited about our expanded reach in the Los Angeles area and the value this brings to the dealers and private sellers listing vehicles for sale on our site.”

According to LANG President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Hamilton, “We’re extremely pleased to offer this new service to our loyal readers and online users, who represent millions of local customers for automotive products and services.  Adding AutoTrader.com will help us drive even more traffic to our sites and make them even more content-rich and useful.”

LANG’s new AutoTrader.com partnership is being launched simultaneously with the redesign of their “AUTOS” online channel, which now offers a new look, easier navigation and more robust content. According to LANG’s Vice President of Interactive Dan Vigil, “the partnership exemplifies our vision to be the community’s hometown home page. The content of AutoTrader.com will make LANG websites the place to go not only for starting your day, catching breaking news while it happens or finding out what to do, but also for the largest selection of vehicle inventory from dealers and private sellers.”

According to LANG President and CEO Hamilton, the Auto Trader partnership enhances the unique local content offered on LANG websites.  “As the ultimate hometown home page, our goal is to be the source for virtually anything our readers need, from late-breaking news and information, to autos, jobs, real estate and more,” said Hamilton.

In addition to this Los Angeles News Group partnership, AutoTrader announced in late 2009 a similar partnership to power the classified auto listings on The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Web site, www.SignOnSanDiego.com.  AutoTrader.com has additional media partnerships with various Cox-owned newspapers and radio stations.  Through these partnerships, AutoTrader.com supplies listings for over 80 other media outlets, including more than 70 major-market radio stations and major daily newspapers, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Palm Beach Post, The Austin American-Statesman and The Dayton Daily News. AutoTrader.com is continuing to look at other media companies as potential partners to replicate the success and extended reach for its listings AutoTrader.com has generated through its existing media partnerships.

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private owners. The site attracts about 15 million unique monthly visitors. Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

About LANG

The Los Angeles Newspaper Group is part of California Newspapers Partnership (CNP), a division of MediaNews Group, Inc., the nation’s fourth largest newspaper company based in Denver, Colorado. LANG newspapers serve more than 1.5 million readers daily and 1.7 million Sunday, with websites reaching more than 3.6 million unique visitors a month. LANG newspapers include the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group (Pasadena-Star News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News), San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Redlands Daily Facts. For more information, please visit www.langnews.com.

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