uclick and Knight Ridder Digital Team Up.

Business Editors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2002

Knight Ridder Digital, interactive information subsidiary of Knight Ridder and founder/operator of the Real Cities Network, and uclick, a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, today announced

Under the agreement, uclick will provide Knight Ridder Digital's Real Cities Network with a variety of popular comics and puzzles from Universal Press Syndicate, Tribune Media Services (TMS) and United Media, including such favorites as Garfield, Doonesbury, Dilbert, For Better or For Worse, Shoe, JUMBLE(R), Crossword Puzzles, PlayFour!, and others. Over the next several weeks, uclick will begin delivering regionally branded comics and puzzles in the Entertainment channels to 27 Real Cities Web sites in major media markets.

The agreement further calls for Knight Ridder Digital and uclick to cooperate in the exploration and development of new consumer-supported revenue sources, including future opportunities to generate growth through subscription-based content models.

"We believe that 2002 offers a new wave of opportunities for content presentation," says Ken Doctor, vice president/content services for Knight Ridder Digital. "Knight Ridder Digital is pleased to partner with uclick as we continue to innovate new business models for delivering premium content to consumers."

As a first step, Knight Ridder Digital will begin offering uclick's new puzzle subscription service, "The Puzzle Society," to its on-line readers starting in February. "The Puzzle Society" is a co-branded consumer subscription product, offering best-of-class interactive puzzles and game content.

"Our companies have a long and successful history of cooperation and partnership on innovative projects, such as this one," adds Chris Pizey, Chief Operating Officer at uclick. "This agreement further strengthens our relationship."

In addition to the current interactive business, the relationship between the two companies includes print syndication and, in the past, has extended to businesses as diverse as instant book publishing.