Tribune Ventures Invests in Legacy.com.

CHICAGO, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribune Ventures, the strategic investment unit of Tribune Company, has invested in Legacy.com, Inc., a national Internet media company offering a full-service site that provides obituaries, living memorials, funeral service information and other related resources. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

Legacy.com ( www.legacy.com ), based in Evanston, Ill., is the fastest-growing online complement to standard print obituaries and memorials. Operating since 1998 as ObitDetails LLC, the company offers services through more than 500 funeral homes across the country. In addition to permanent online memorials, Legacy.com provides funeral service information, including times and directions, and information about charitable memorials and local florists. The site links to more than 1,000 obituary sections of newspapers nationwide.

"Legacy.com's innovative site will take Tribune's print products to the next level, providing value-added service to our consumers. It is an outstanding business opportunity," said Andrew J. Oleszczuk, Tribune Ventures president. "Legacy.com supplements the traditional ways in which people can provide family and friends with very important information during a time of grief. It is the next generation of how information can quickly and easily reach people."

"This represents one of what we expect will be many collaborative relationships with progressive media companies nationwide," said Stopher Bartol, Legacy.com chief executive officer. "Tribune Ventures understands the Internet and will be a value-added partner that will help us realize our vision."

Legacy.com, Inc., is dedicated to transforming traditional obituaries into full-length, permanent online memorials. Through its state-of-the-art Internet site, Legacy.com has effectively redefined the way families acknowledge and memorialize loved ones. Memorials can be found both at the company's former site, www.obitdetails.com , and at its new Web address, www.legacy.com .

Tribune (NYSE: TRB) is a leading media company with operations in television and radio broadcasting, publishing, education and interactive ventures. Tribune Ventures invests in new-media companies that build and support Tribune's businesses. This strategy includes investing in seed-stage Chicago-area companies to help develop young businesses in the region. Tribune Ventures has more than 14 equity partnerships and an investment portfolio valued at more than $600 million. Equity partnerships include America Online, Excite@Home, Food.com, iExplore, iOwn, iVillage, Lightspan, Peapod, Pseudo Programs, Replay Networks, SuperMarkets Online and VarsityBooks.com . More information on Tribune Ventures is available at www.tribune.com/ventures .