£300M Disposal of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers

Trinity Mirror PLC 17 March 2000 Trinity Mirror plc ('Trinity Mirror') Sale of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Limited ('BTNL') Trinity Mirror announces that it has reached agreement for the sale of BTNL, and its immediate holding company TIH (Belfast), to Independent News & Media (Northern Ireland) Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Independent News & Media plc, 'Independent News & Media') for £300 million, subject to the consent of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and notification to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the Republic of Ireland. BTNL is the leading newspaper publisher in Northern Ireland whose flagship titles are the Belfast Telegraph and the Sunday Life. The disposal of the titles and assets of BTNL is required as a condition to the consent given by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the merger of Trinity plc and the Mirror Group plc last year. Trinity Mirror will receive cash of £300 million, less any indebtedness and subject to adjustment reflecting working capital movements in BTNL between signing and completion. Trinity Mirror will receive the benefit of cash generation up to completion, net of allowances for capital expenditure and tax. Trinity Mirror will use the proceeds from the sale of BTNL to repay debt and for general corporate purposes. BTNL generated unaudited operating profits of £21 million (before management charges) in 1999 on unaudited turnover of £54 million. As at 2 January 2000 BTNL had unaudited net assets of £135 million. Application will be made to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for the referral of the transaction to the Competition Commission and notification will be made to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the Republic of Ireland. Completion of the transaction is not expected to take place until the third quarter of this year. Greenhill & Co. advised Trinity Mirror on this transaction. Commenting on the disposal, Philip Graf, Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror said: 'BTNL is a tremendous business and we are disappointed to have to sell it. However, we believe Independent News & Media will provide an excellent home for BTNL which will ensure the continued prosperity and integrity of the business going forward.' Enquiries : Trinity Mirror plc Philip Graf 0171 293 3000 Greenhill & Co. Simon Borrows Brian Cassin 0171 440 0400 Finsbury Rupert Younger James Leviton 0171 251 3801 Greenhill & Co. International Limited, which is regulated by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for Trinity Mirror and no one else in connection with the disposal of BTNL and will not be responsible to anyone other than Trinity Mirror for providing the protections afforded to customers of Greenhill & Co. International Limited, nor providing advice in relation to the disposal.

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