Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 25, 2011

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

We had an effective tax rate of 49.8% in the third quarter of 2011. The effective tax rate was impacted by certain non-deductible items resulting in a higher than customary effective tax rate. Our effective tax rate for the first nine months of 2011 is not meaningful because a portion of the non-cash charge in the second quarter of 2011 for the impairment of the Regional Media Group's goodwill was non-deductible.

We had an effective tax rate of 32.8% in the third quarter of 2010. The effective tax rate was impacted by lower state tax rates applied to the impairment charge associated with the Globe's Billerica, Mass., printing facility, and pension withdrawal expense in the third quarter of 2010. The effective tax rate for the first nine months of 2010 was 54.8%, primarily because of a $10.9 million tax charge for the reduction in future tax benefits for certain retiree health benefits resulting from the federal health care reform legislation enacted in March 2010.