Clear Channel Outdoor Appoints Par Ridder to Branch President of the Chicago Division

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO), today announced the appointment of Par Ridder as Branch President of its Chicago Division effective immediately. Ridder will report to Rod Firestone, Midwest Group President and will be responsible for Clear Channel Outdoor's over 11,000 displays in the Chicago area.

"We are delighted to have Par in Chicago," said Firestone. "He brings strong leadership skills and customer focus to this role which will be key to the division's continued and future success. Par is a proven manager and strategic thinker. He is ambitious and ready to take on new challenges."

"The outdoor industry has a growth profile that is hard to beat," commented Ridder. "Advertisers have discovered the power of today's outdoor platforms, the clarity that new outdoor research is adding to media buying, and outdoor's ability to leverage digital media - all adding to our tremendous opportunity to grow this business." He continues, "I am looking forward to being part of Chicago's exciting business and media community, and honored to be part of the Clear Channel Outdoor organization."

Ridder comes from the newspaper business where he has served as Publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, St Paul Pioneer Press and San Luis Obispo (CA) Tribune. Ridder has a track record of growing revenue by helping customers grow theirs through effective advertising programs.

Ridder began his career selling advertising at The Washington Post. He also worked for the Akron Beacon Journal and the Contra Costa Times in various sales and management roles. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Washington and an M.B.A. in general management from the University of Michigan. Ridder was a member of the boards of directors of the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Capital City Partnership, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota. He was also the chair of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's St. Paul Community Advisory Committee.

About Clear Channel Outdoor

Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE:CCO) is the world's largest outdoor advertising company with close to one million displays in 45 countries across 5 continents. In the United States, the company operates over 200,000 advertising displays and has a presence in 48 of the top 50 Designated Market Areas. It also operates airport, rail, and mall advertising businesses worldwide. Its Spectacolor (U.S.) and DEFI (international) divisions are the global market leaders in spectacular sign displays, including in New York's Times Square. Clear Channel Adshel is the company's international street furniture division, which operates over 3,500 municipal advertising contracts worldwide. Clear Channel Outdoor also operates digital displays and networks in most of its divisions. More information may be found by visiting www.clearchanneloutdoor.com

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.


    Source: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings