<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001628280-25-021144.txt : 20250814
<SEC-HEADER>0001628280-25-021144.hdr.sgml : 20250814
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20250430170501
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001628280-25-021144
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20250430

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000058361
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	NEWSPAPERS:  PUBLISHING OR PUBLISHING & PRINTING [2711]
		ORGANIZATION NAME:           	04 Manufacturing
		EIN:				420823980
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0929

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		4600 E. 53RD STREET
		CITY:			DAVENPORT
		STATE:			IA
		ZIP:			52807
		BUSINESS PHONE:		5633832100

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		4600 E. 53RD STREET
		CITY:			DAVENPORT
		STATE:			IA
		ZIP:			52807

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	LEE ENTERPRISES, INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20050610

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	LEE ENTERPRISES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19920703
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="ic944228982c348c59bc3664fd04e7569_1"></div><div style="min-height:40.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">April 30, 2025</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Office of Manufacturing</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Attn&#58; Melissa Gilmore</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Re&#58;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Lee Enterprises, Incorporated &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2024</font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Response Letter Dated March 24, 2025</font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">File No. 001-06227</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">To Whom It May Concern&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Set forth below is the response of Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (&#8220;Lee&#8221; or the &#8220;Company&#8221;) to the comments of the staff (&#8220;Staff&#8221;) of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Commission&#8221;) contained in the letter addressed to Timothy R. Millage, Chief Financial Officer of the Company dated April 2, 2025, relating to the Company&#8217;s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 29, 2024 (&#8220;Form 10-K&#8221;) and the Response Letter dated March 24, 2025. For convenience of reference, the text of the comments in the Staff&#8217;s letter has been reproduced in italicized type.</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Response Letter dated March 24, 2025</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Response to Staff Comment 2</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">SEC Comment 1&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">We note your response to prior comment 2. Please confirm that each of your 50 Strategic Business Units (&#34;SBU's&#34;) represents a component and provide us with your assessment of the guidance in ASC 350-20-55-7(a)-(d) in determining that all SBU's have similar economic characteristics. Also tell us the discrete financial information that is available for each SBU, the quantitative data and metrics you considered in determining that your SBU's should be aggregated into a single reporting unit, and the high and low ends of the range for such quantitative datapoints of the component population for the periods used in your assessment. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Company Response&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Based upon the Glossary definition, we have determined that each SBU is a component.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:40.5pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">ASC 205-20-20 Glossary - </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Component of an Entity&#58; A component of an entity comprises operations and cash flows that can be clearly distinguished, operationally and for financial reporting purposes, from the rest of the entity. A component of an entity may be a reportable segment or an operating segment, a reporting unit, a subsidiary, or an asset group.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">We also note that ASC 350-20-35-34 requires a component to meet the following three criteria to be considered a reporting unit subject to the aggregation criteria in paragraph 35-35&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;    It constitutes a business or a nonprofit activity.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;    Discrete financial information is available.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;    Segment management regularly reviews the operating results of that component.    </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Each of our SBUs meets the definition of a business, as it includes one or more daily newspapers, several nondaily publications as well as the related digital operations. While the information available by SBU does not constitute complete financial statements, as further discussed below, the revenues and some cash flow information for each SBU can be clearly distinguished operationally. Thus discrete financial information for each SBU is available.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div style="height:40.5pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:40.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">ASC 280-10-50-7 defines a segment manager as a function that is &#8220;directly accountable to and maintains regular contact with the chief operating decision maker to discuss operating activities, financial results, forecasts, or plans for the segment.&#8221;  As discussed in our prior response, responsibility for managing the SBUs is divided between various individuals, including the Vertical Leads and the CFO.  However, we note that the concept of segment manager constitutes a function rather than an individual, and we conclude that the group of executives collectively fulfills this function.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Therefore, each SBU meets the definition of a component in the Master Glossary and in ASC 350-20-35-34 and must be assessed for aggregation.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">Assessment in determining whether SBUs have similar economic characteristics</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Under ASC 350-20-55-7, we first must consider the factors in ASC 280-10-50-11 to determine if aggregation of two or more components is warranted&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:32.714%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:65.086%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:112%">ASC 280-10-50-11 Criteria</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:112%">Lee Enterprises Assessment</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">a The nature of the products and services</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Each SBU is engaged in the creation of news and other content for its print and digital products and providing advertising services.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">b The nature of the production processes</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Each SBU utilizes local reporters and writers to create content for publication via print, digital posting, or both.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Printing is done from a few company-owned printing facilities and by third party providers.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Advertising services are provided in both print and digital formats and integrated with the printing process or through various digital platforms.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">c The type or class of customer for their products and services</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">News and other content is consumed by the general public in each geographic location.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Advertising services are provided to businesses, governments, and individuals.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">d The methods used to distribute their products or provide their services</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Print products are distributed through a network of contract carriers. </font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Digital products are distributed through several online outlets.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">e If applicable, the nature of the regulatory environment, for example, banking, insurance, or public utilities.</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Not Applicable</font></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">In addition to the five qualitative criteria, ASC 280-10-50-11 also requires two or more segments to have similar economic characteristics, typically defined as having similar long-term average gross margins (or other operating metric). </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Revenue is generated across each SBU, and we can identify certain direct costs associated with each SBU, deriving gross margins. There are many centralized costs that support all SBUs, so a full profit and loss statement is not able to be created on an SBU level, however gross margin excluding these centralized resources can be computed.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">With the exception of seven outliers, the SBUs achieved gross margin percentages in FY2024 between 21% and 42%, with an average FY2024 gross margin percent of  31%. Variations of gross margin exist primarily due to talent in the local market, the ability to outsource major functions like printing, and the timing of major decisions like leases. For example, one priority that spans all SBU&#8217;s is to acquire and retain top talent in each of our SBU&#8217;s. Where we have been more successful, that SBU is generating higher gross margins. That said, the priority and goal is for every market to acquire top talent.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">While the gross margin percentages in FY2024 varied by more than 10%, a common threshold used to establish similarity, we do not believe that this fact alone indicates that the SBUs should not be aggregated into a single reporting unit for goodwill impairment purposes.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">  </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">We note that ASC 350-20-55-7 states in part&#58; &#8220;every factor need not be met in order for two components to be considered economically similar.&#8221;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">ASC 350-20-55-7 goes on to note that additional factors should be considered.</font></div><div style="height:40.5pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:40.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:99.679%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:34.430%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:63.370%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:112%">ASC 350-20-55-7 Criteria</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:112%">Lee Enterprises Assessment</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">a. The manner in which an entity operates its business or nonprofit activity and the nature of those operations</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Each SBU operates in a similar manner&#59; creating, packaging, and distributing content to consumers through print and digital publications in each SBU. </font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Content created for publication in one SBU is available to all SBUs to publish</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">While each SBU targets its local market, the business is managed as a single unit through combined KPI&#8217;s that span all SBUs.</font></div><div style="text-indent:9pt"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">b. Whether goodwill is recoverable from the separate operations of each component business (or nonprofit activity) or from two or more component businesses (or nonprofit activities) working in concert (which might be the case if the components are economically interdependent) </font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">All SBU&#8217;s generate revenue independently from other revenue sources, however there is a growing pool of national and regional advertising solutions that span multiple SBU&#8217;s. </font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Costs associated with revenue generation include both costs specific  to the SBU (local newsroom and sales resources) and expenses that support all SBU&#8217;s (marketing, branding, central sales organization, sales leadership, fulfillment expenses, and other direct costs associated with the SBU). These costs are not allocated to SBU&#8217;s</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Goodwill is recoverable primarily from the single reporting unit, due to the extent that the SBUs share resources as noted below.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">c. The extent to which the component businesses (or nonprofit activities) share assets and other resources, as might be evidenced by extensive transfer pricing mechanisms</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">All SBU&#8217;s are supported by one overarching vertical leadership&#59; advertising, audience, finance, IT, and HR. For example, the VP of Sales oversees all aspects of the advertising revenue streams for every SBU but has no responsibility for the subscription revenue streams</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">Support resources span all SBU&#8217;s with the example of amplified costs and operating expenses associated with BLOX Digital, the Company&#8217;s SaaS content management software that is used across all SBUs.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">A central audience team deploys marketing campaigns across all SBUs.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">A central in-depth news reporting team taps into each SBU to develop deeper level content.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">d. Whether the components support and benefit from common research and development projects.</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">This criteria is not applicable to the Company. </font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">The fact that a component extensively shares assets and other resources with other components of the operating segment may be an indication that the component either is not a business or nonprofit activity or it may be economically similar to those other components.</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000000;border-left:1pt solid #000000;border-right:1pt solid #000000;border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">The extent of integration of the operation of our SBUs with respect to content creation, shared print facilities, and integrated digital distribution makes each of the SBU components economically similar.</font></div><div style="padding-left:9pt;text-indent:-9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:5.5pt">As described in Item c. above, the SBUs share systems, printing facilities, people resources, and support each other in a distributed working model.</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">As a result of the qualitative and quantitative factors, the Company&#8217;s operating SBU&#8217;s have similar economic characteristics because&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">1.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">The nature of the products and services offered is the same across each SBU&#59; </font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">2.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">The methods of production and distribution of products is the same across each SBU&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">3.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">The manner in which the SBUs are operated is the same across each SBU&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">4.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:9.67pt">The SBUs share significant resources, including a centralized resource team that deploys national marketing campaigns.</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">5.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:9.67pt">Because of the existence of significant shared resources, goodwill is recoverable primarily from all of the SBUs collectively.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">While the gross margin percentages of the SBUs are broader than would generally be considered similar, the reasons for that divergence are not due to differences in the nature of the products or production </font></div><div style="height:40.5pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:40.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">processes, nor due to other qualitative factors that would indicate the Company should not aggregate the SBU&#8217;s for goodwill impairment purposes.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Accordingly, we considered the guidelines in making the determination that the SBUs do not individually constitute an operating segment and that they should be aggregated into a single reporting unit.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">****</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">In connection with the response to this letter, the Company acknowledges that&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of this disclosure in the filing</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any actions with respect to the filling&#59; and</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">If the Staff has any further questions or comments concerning this response, or if you require additional information, please feel free to contact me at (563) 383-2135.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Sincerely,</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">&#47;s&#47; Timothy R. Millage&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Timothy R. Millage</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer</font></div><div style="height:40.5pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
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</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
