FIVE MORE PUBLISHERS REPORT LOUSY THIRD QUARTERS And NYT Co., ACN both report write-downs on goodwill, assets.

What can I say? A lousy quarter all around. By the numbers:

*American Community Newspapers Inc.: This Dallas-based publisher finally filed its second-quarter, ending June 29, report with the Securities and Exchange Commission last Thursday, saying that it had a net loss of $109.1 million for the quarter, representing a net loss per diluted share of $7.46.

The delay had come in computing what the company would take as a write-down in the value of its assets, as the equity value of the company (represented by its stock price) had declined rapidly in the first and second quarters.

Last summer, ACN had said it expected to take a $69 million charge to write down its goodwill. Ultimately, the company took a pre-tax charge of $110 million in goodwill write-down.

Also at ACN, the company said today that it had begun trading its shares on the Pink OTC Markets under the ticker symbol ACNI.PK. Formerly, the company was traded on the New York Stock Exchange but was de-listed because it had failed to meet the exchange's requirements for a sustained price above $1 a share.

In a filing today with the SEC, ACN said that it would suspend filing reports with the regulatory body and that it expects that suspension to become effect on Feb. 8.

*GateHouse Media Inc.: Though ad revenue was up in the third quarter at this Fairport, N.Y.-based newspaper publisher, the company nonetheless posted a net loss for the quarter, coming in at $18.5 million, compared with the net loss in the 2007 third quarter, which was $8.8 million. The loss per diluted share this quarter was 32 cents, versus the loss per diluted share last year, which was 17 cents.

Ad revenue in the quarter was $123.8 million, up five percent over 2007, though total adjusted revenue, on a same-paper basis, was $174.6 million, a decline of 5.1 percent.

Retail ad revenue was down only 1.1 percent on a same-paper basis, the company said, while classified dropped 21 percent. GateHouse provided few details, saying only, "The classified advertising weakness was seen across all three major categories: help wanted, real estate and auto."

On-line revenue was up 34 percent on a same-paper basis, "consistent with the first half of 2008."

GateHouse also said that it had paid down its $28.8 million revolving credit line during the quarter.

*Journal Register Co.: This Yardley, Pa.-based newspaper publisher announced a net loss for the third quarter last week and at the same time said that it had extended its forbearance agreement with its lenders through until Jan. 16, 2009.

The quarterly net loss was $8.7 million, as compared to net income in the third quarter of 2007 of $11.2 million. Loss per diluted share was 22 cents, versus a 28-cent income per diluted share last year.

For the quarter, total ad revenue was down 13.4 percent, to $74.3 million, when compared to last year. National ad revenue declined 25.3 percent, to $2.3 million, while classified dropped 21.4 percent, to $28.4 million, and retail was off 6.4 percent, to just under $44 million.

Classified employment revenue was down 31.1 percent, the company said, while classified real estate declined 26.5 percent, and classified automotive dropped 21 percent. The "other classified revenue" category was down 3.5 percent; the company said this category -- which includes legal ads and obituaries -- was about 30.3 percent of the company's total classified ad revenue in the quarter.

On-line ad revenue -- which the company includes in its total ad revenue calculations -- was up 6.2 percent in the quarter and represented 6.9 percent of total ad revenue during the quarter, as opposed to only 5.6 percent in last year's third quarter.

*The New York Times Co.: In its third-quarter filing with the SEC, this publishing company said on Friday that it had posted a third-quarter loss of $114.9 million, as compared to last year's third quarter, where it posted net income of $14.1 million.

New since its third-quarter press release last month was $160.4 million in write-downs the company took on the book value of a variety of assets, including a $109.3 million charge on impairment of assets, a $75.1 million after-tax charge on property, plant and equipment, a $24 million after-tax charge on the value of its newspaper nameplates, a $22.9 million charge on goodwill and a $5.3 million charge against customer lists.

The company laid blame to "lower projected operating results and cash flows of the New England Media Group."

*The E.W. Scripps Co.: For its first quarter following the spin-off of its cable TV networks, this multimedia company was forced to report a net loss of $16.8 million, as compared to net income in the third quarter of 2007 of $88.4 million. The net loss per basic share was 31 cents, versus a net earnings of $1.63 per basic share last year.

Newspaper advertising revenue declined 19.7 percent in the quarter, to $100.6 million, with national off 30.6 percent, to $5.9 million, classified down 28 percent, to $33.6 million, local dropping 15.7 percent, to $27.3 million, on-line falling 12.4 percent, to $9.1 million, and pre-print and other slipping 9.9 percent, to $24.8 million.

The company gave no specifics on classified revenue declines. It did say that at its papers operated solely by the company, ad revenue dropped 20 percent.

At its Denver joint operating agreement and its other newspaper partnerships, the Scripps share of the income fell to $2.1 million in the third quarter, as compared to $8 million in the third quarter of 2007.

*Sun Times Media Group Inc.: Despite a deep decline in ad and other revenue, this Chicago-based publisher said last week that it had narrowed its loss over last year, posting a net loss of $168.8 million for Sept. 30, as compared to a net loss of just under $194 million in the third quarter last year.

The net loss per diluted share was $2.04, as compared to $2.39 last year.

Ad revenue declined 18 percent, to $59.1 million, when compared to the 2007 third quarter, with national ad revenue off 24 percent, classified ad revenue down 21 percent and retail dropping 13 percent. Internet ad revenue slipped two percent, the company said, and represented five percent of total ad revenue in the quarter.

The company said its flagship Chicago Sun-Times's ad revenue was down 19 percent in the quarter, while its suburban Chicago papers saw a 17-percent decline.

*Tribune Co.: One-time charges severely hurt this Chicago multimedia company, as it today reported a third-quarter loss of $124 million, which compared to a third-quarter net income of $84 million last year.

Though privately held, Tribune publicly reports its financials on a quarterly basis as part of its agreements with its lenders.

The one-time charges included $45 million for layoffs, $25 million to write-down software, a $3 million charge for its management incentive plan and $11 million toward the Tribune Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

At the company's publishing division, ad revenue was off 19 percent, to $584.2 million in the quarter. Classified ad revenue was down 30 percent, to $193.3 million, while national ad revenue was down 21 percent, to $142.9 million, and retail ad revenue was down 10 percent, to $240 million.

Classified real estate fell by 44 percent, classified employment declined 37 percent and automotive revenue was down 11 percent.

Pre-print revenue, which is included primarily in the retail numbers, decreased 15 percent, while interactive revenue, which is included in all the above categories, was down seven percent.

See this story's lede; there's not much else to say.