November 22, 2005

TO ALL HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION EMPLOYEES

Dear Friends:

This year's Thanksgiving holiday has special significance for our company. Thirteen weeks ago our colleagues at WDSU-TV in New Orleans endured the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, with many of our people suffering extensive personal loss and displacement. Throughout that ordeal, WDSU did a remarkable job of sustaining local broadcast service, initially over the internet at WDSU.com and then across a network of stations in the region, including Channel 49 in New Orleans. Today WDSU continues to do an outstanding job serving the local community and telling the challenging story of recovery and restoration. And within a few weeks our new Channel 6 transmitter will be in service.

What has been evident throughout this ordeal is a generosity of spirit across our entire company. The immediate response from our corporate management team and from our stations to provide news, technical and logistical support, and assistance to WDSU was of immeasurable benefit and speaks volumes about the character of our company. To those who traveled to New Orleans, Jackson and Orlando and worked tirelessly to keep WDSU on-air and in business; to those who helped from a distance covering shifts, taking on extra work at home on behalf of those who were helping on the front lines; and to the many who were standing by ready to lend a hand of support, I extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation.

Equally heartwarming has been the outpouring of financial contributions from so many of our colleagues within Hearst-Argyle and the Hearst Corporation to the foundation that was created to provide assistance to employees that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Contributions to the Hearst-Argyle Employee Disaster Relief Foundation are approaching $400,000 (inclusive of the Hearst Corporation's matching contribution), and the Foundation Trustees are finalizing the process for making grants to employees in need. If you have not already done so, I hope you will consider making a contribution to this foundation, which will directly assist your fellow employees who have suffered personal losses as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, I thank each of you for your generosity and for your meaningful contributions to our company . . . and especially for your support to our colleagues at WDSU.

Very best regards,

David Barrett

President & CEO
Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.