Belo's Texas-Based Operations to Host and Air 2006 Gubernatorial Debate

Belo's Texas-Based Operations to Host and Air 2006 Gubernatorial Debate

Debate Will Be the Only One to Include the Four Leading Candidates

Television, Internet, Cable News and Radio Coverage Aims to Increase Awareness of Issues and Inform Voters in Local Communities Throughout Texas

DALLAS, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Belo Corp. (NYSE:BLC) announced that The Dallas Morning News and the Company's Texas-based television stations, which include WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth, KHOU-TV in Houston, KENS-TV in San Antonio and KVUE-TV in Austin, will host the 2006 Texas gubernatorial debate on Friday, October 6, in Dallas at 7:00 p.m. CDT. This will be the only gubernatorial debate to include the four leading candidates: Democratic nominee Chris Bell, independent candidate Kinky Friedman, current Republican Governor Rick Perry and independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn.

In addition to being aired by Belo television stations in the state's four largest markets, the debate will be broadcast on The Dallas Morning News' Web site, http://www.dallasnews.com/ , host television stations' associated Web sites and Texas Cable News (TXCN). Belo has also made the broadcast available in English to all television stations across Texas outside of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, and in Spanish to television stations in all markets. PBS stations in Belo markets may air the debate on a tape- delayed basis. Additionally, all radio stations across Texas were given the opportunity to air the debate. In total, the debate is expected to be aired on television stations reaching approximately 90 percent of the state's television households.

Dunia Shive, Belo's president/Media Operations, said, "We are pleased to host the 2006 Texas gubernatorial debate and provide viewers with a deeper understanding of candidates' views and positions so they can make informed decisions on election day. Belo has a longstanding commitment to providing free airtime to political candidates in an effort to keep citizens aware of political matters of local and statewide importance."

In 1996, Belo became the first commercial television station group to provide free airtime for congressional and gubernatorial candidates. Belo was also one of the first broadcasters to commit voluntarily to televise at least one hour of political coverage each week in the six weeks prior to the general election. This year, the Company's election coverage includes debates, issue- and ad-watch programming and interviews with local, state and federal candidates. Belo stations expect to broadcast more than 200 hours of election coverage from mid-September through election day in November. Additionally, Belo Web sites provide real-time information to voters in each of Belo's markets by posting information and statements from the candidates as well as hosting e-town meetings for voters to express their own opinions and gather information on relevant local issues. Concurrently, Belo's regional and local cable news channels offer a variety of programming including candidate interviews and single-issue debates.

About Belo

Belo Corp. is one of the nation's largest media companies with a diversified group of market-leading television, newspaper, cable and interactive media assets. A Fortune 1000 company with 7,700 employees and more than $1.5 billion in annual revenues, Belo operates in some of America's most dynamic markets in Texas, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Mid-Atlantic and Rhode Island. Belo owns 19 television stations, six of which are in the 15 largest U.S. broadcast markets. The company also owns or operates seven cable news channels and manages one television station through a local marketing agreement. Belo's other daily newspapers are The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California) and the Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Texas). The company also publishes specialty publications targeting young adults and the fast-growing Hispanic market, including Quick and Al Dia in Dallas/Fort Worth. Belo operates more than 30 Web sites associated with its operating companies. Additional information is available at http://www.belo.com/ or by contacting Carey Hendrickson, vice president/Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, at 214-977-6626.

First Call Analyst: Carey Hendrickson

Source: Belo Corp.

CONTACT: Carey Hendrickson, vice president-Investor Relations &
Corporate Communications of Belo Corp., +1-214-977-6626

Web site: http://www.belo.com/
http://www.dallasnews.com/

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