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Sun-Times Media Launches ToDrive.com, the Chicago Region's Most Comprehensive New and Used Auto Marketplace

ToDrive.com brings together the top automobile deals across the Chicago metropolitan area, including northwest Indiana, and Sun-Times Media's readers, the largest auto-buying customer base in the Chicago region. What's more, ToDrive.com provides enhanced listing and search capabilities to help customers find the perfect vehicle, including by price, monthly payment, make and model, mileage per gallon, as well as by new arrivals emailed directly to them based on their preferences.

For advertisers, Sun-Times Media and ToDrive.com can offer attractive, competitively priced online multimedia solutions that can get their vehicles in front of their desired customers better than any other automotive site available. ToDrive.com will complement Sun-Times Media's very successful and popular SearchChicagoAutos print sections that appear in Sun-Times Media newspapers across the region.

"There is nothing like ToDrive.com in the Chicago marketplace that is specific to Chicago dealers and Chicago auto buyers. Our customers want access to local automobiles and local dealers, and with ToDrive.com we give them the best of everything that is available," said Rick Surkamer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sun-Times Media. "With ToDrive.com, our dealers can showcase their vehicles on a very unique channel that will drive results for them."

"Online Automotive Solutions is pleased to partner with Sun-Times Media, given its extensive reach to potential car buyers across the Chicago region," said Jeff Urgo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Online Automotive Solutions. "ToDrive.com is the premier online site for new and used car dealers in the Chicago region that offers features not found on our competitors' sites, nor do their sites reach the broad, desired customer based that Sun-Times Media provides."

For dealers, ToDrive.com can dramatically increase the visibility of their inventories online and reach the consumers they want to buy their cars.

"Sun-Times Media and ToDrive.com can give Chicago's top-performing dealers the innovative multimedia solutions they need to get the maximum online exposure for their inventories and their brands along with the most for their advertising dollars," said Barbara Swanson, Senior Vice President of Advertising and Marketing for Sun-Times Media. "According to our research, more than half a million Chicago adults who are 'somewhat to very likely to purchase a new/used car in the next six months' visit one or more of Sun-Times Media's more than 60 Web sites, an attractive proposition to Chicago area dealers. We know we can exceed dealers' expectations with ToDrive.com and its multiple, hyperlocal options that can help every dealer in the Chicago region reach customers, influence buying and grow sales."

Dealers interested in contacting Sun-Times Media about opportunities with ToDrive.com and Sun-Times Media can contact Mike Nathan (312) 321-2975, Terry Boyle (708) 802-8031 or George Molnar at (630) 978-8194 at for more information and a consultation.

About Sun-Times Media

Sun-Times Media (www.suntimesmediaholdings.com) is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area and in partnership with Yahoo! reaches a print and online monthly audience of more than 86 percent of the Chicago DMA. Its media properties serve more than 300 communities across the region and include the Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com; seven suburban daily newspapers, including the Beacon-News (Aurora), Courier-News (Elgin), Herald-News (Joliet), Lake County News-Sun, Naperville Sun, Post-Tribune (Merrillville, Ind.) and the SouthtownStar; 39 weekly newspapers published by the Pioneer Press and 11 weekly Sun newspapers, as well as Web sites for those newspapers, SearchChicago.com, CenterstageChicago.com, RogerEbert.com and YourSeason.com.

Sun-Times Media
Tammy Chase, (312) 321-3230
tchase@suntimes.com