Retirement plans and postretirement benefits other than pension (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 25, 2011

Pension Plans, Defined Benefit

Benefit costs

The Gannett Retirement Plan is the Company’s principal retirement plan. The Company’s pension costs, which include costs for qualified, nonqualified and union plans are presented in the following table:

(in thousands of dollars)
	Thirteen Weeks Ended						Thirty-nine Weeks Ended
	Sept. 25, 2011			Sept. 26, 2010			Sept. 25, 2011			Sept. 26, 2010
Service cost-benefits earned during the period	$	1,973		$	3,383		$	5,919		$	10,989
Interest cost on benefit obligation		42,253			41,426			126,760			132,913
Expected return on plan assets		(52,262	)		(44,787	)		(156,785	)		(144,210	)
Amortization of prior service cost		1,867			1,577			5,601			5,076
Amortization of actuarial loss		9,394			11,567			28,183			36,283
Pension expense for Company-sponsored retirement plans		3,225			13,166			9,678			41,051
Curtailment gain		—			—			—			(582	)
Union and other pension cost		998			1,287			2,993			3,860
Pension cost	$	4,223		$	14,453		$	12,671		$	44,329

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit

Benefit costs

Postretirement benefit costs for health care and life insurance are presented in the following table:

(in thousands of dollars)
	Thirteen Weeks Ended						Thirty-nine Weeks Ended
	Sept. 25, 2011			Sept. 26, 2010			Sept. 25, 2011			Sept. 26, 2010
Service cost-benefits earned during the period	$	153		$	178		$	458		$	535
Interest cost on net benefit obligation		2,301			2,651			6,903			7,953
Amortization of prior service credit		(4,878	)		(4,844	)		(14,633	)		(14,532	)
Amortization of actuarial loss		1,361			1,237			4,083			3,711
Net periodic postretirement benefit credit	$	(1,063	)	$	(778	)	$	(3,189	)	$	(2,333	)