Lee Enterprises (LEE) 10-Q 8 Feb 19 2019 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information Document - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Jan. 31, 2019	Mar. 25, 2018
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	Lee Enterprises, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	58,361
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-29
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Dec. 30, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		57,690,431
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Public Float			$ 102,433,453

Consolidated Balance Sheet Pare

Consolidated Balance Sheet Parentheticals (Parentheticals) - $ / shares	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0	$ 0
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	500,000	500,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	0	0
Common Class A [Member]
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	57,080,000	56,712,000
Common Class B [Member]
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 2	$ 2
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	30,000,000	30,000,000
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	0	0

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Operating revenue:
Advertising and marketing services	$ 75,962,000	$ 84,661,000
Subscription	46,268,000	48,269,000
Other revenues, net	13,971,000	10,856,000
Total operating revenue	136,201,000	143,786,000
Operating expenses:
Compensation	47,038,000	51,619,000
Newsprint and ink	6,339,000	5,838,000
Other operating expenses	49,743,000	50,357,000
Depreciation and amortization	7,529,000	8,053,000
Assets loss (gain) on sales, impairments and other, net	(100,000)	2,000
Restructuring costs and other	62,000	468,000
Total operating expenses	110,611,000	116,337,000
Equity in earnings of associated companies	2,129,000	2,383,000
Operating income	27,719,000	29,832,000
Non-operating income (expense):
Interest expense	(12,256,000)	(13,650,000)
Debt financing costs and administrative costs	(896,000)	(1,096,000)
Other, net	665,000	551,000
Total non-operating expense, net	(12,487,000)	(14,195,000)
Income (loss) before income taxes	15,232,000	15,637,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,513,000	(19,690,000)
Net income	10,719,000	35,327,000
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	(358,000)	(324,000)
Income (loss) attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated	10,361,000	35,003,000
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	(122,000)	27,000
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated	$ 10,239,000	$ 35,030,000
Basic:
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 0.19	$ 0.64
Diluted:
Diluted	$ 0.18	$ 0.63

Statement of Cash Flows

Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Net income	$ 10,719	$ 35,327
Adjustments to reconcile net income from continuing operations to net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations:
Depreciation and amortization	7,529	8,053
Stock compensation expense	464	519
Distributions greater (less) than earnings of MNI	51	(114)
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	204	(20,345)
Debt financing and administrative costs	896	1,043
Pension contributions	650	0
Other Operating Activities, Cash Flow Statement	468	281
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Decrease in receivables	(7,479)	(7,189)
Decrease (increase) in inventories and other	318	(344)
Increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and unearned revenue	4,088	4,138
Decrease in pension, postretirement and postemployment benefit obligations	(741)	(606)
Change in income taxes receivable or payable	4,287	546
Other, including warrants	189	431
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	19,407	21,178
Cash provided by (required for) investing activities of continuing operations:
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,002)	(1,103)
Proceeds from sales of assets	585	13
Distributions greater (less) than current earnings of TNI	(881)	48
Other, net	(97)	(14)
Net Cash provided by (required for) investing activities of continuing operations	(1,395)	(1,056)
Cash provided by (required for) financing activities of continuing operations:
Payments on long-term debt	(7,027)	(16,432)
Debt financing and reorganization costs paid	(8)	(4)
Common stock transactions net	(448)	(461)
Net cash required for financing activities of continuing operations	(7,483)	(16,897)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	10,529	3,225
Cash and cash equivalents:
Beginning of period	5,380	10,621
End of period	$ 15,909	$ 13,846

Consolidated Statement of Share

Consolidated Statement of Shareholders Equity (Deficit) Statement - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Common Stock [Member]
Total deficit			$ (328,524)	$ (16,068)	$ 251,790	$ 567
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		56,712
Share-based Compensation					519
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues					(465)	4
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues		357
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 35,327		35,327
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	324		(324)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Defined Benefit Plan, after Reclassification Adjustment, before Tax				36
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax				(9)
Total deficit			(293,521)	(16,041)	251,844	571
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		57,069
Total stockholders' deficit	(57,147)
Total deficit	(36,260)		(279,691)	(11,746)	253,511	572
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		57,141
Total stockholders' deficit	(37,354)
Share-based Compensation					385
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues					(453)	5
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues		550
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	10,719		10,719
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	358		(358)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Defined Benefit Plan, after Reclassification Adjustment, before Tax				(163)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax				41
Total deficit	(26,093)		$ (269,330)	$ (11,868)	$ 253,443	$ 577
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		57,691
Total stockholders' deficit	$ (27,178)

Consolidated Balance Sheets Sta

Consolidated Balance Sheets Statement - USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Current maturities of long-term debt	$ 1,377,000	$ 7,027,000
Cash and cash equivalents	15,909,000	5,380,000
Accounts receivable and contract assets, net	51,037,000	43,711,000
Inventory, Net	5,385,000	5,684,000
Other	4,233,000	4,567,000
Total current assets	76,564,000	59,342,000
Investments:
Associated companies	30,046,000	29,216,000
Other	11,034,000	10,958,000
Total investments	41,080,000	40,174,000
Property and equipment:
Land and improvements	17,250,000	17,432,000
Buildings and improvements	149,869,000	150,376,000
Equipment	273,284,000	276,332,000
Construction in process	2,079,000	1,710,000
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	442,482,000	445,850,000
Less accumulated depreciation	352,839,000	353,522,000
Property and equipment, net	89,643,000	92,328,000
Goodwill	246,176,000	246,176,000
Other intangible assets, net	115,582,000	119,819,000
Medical plan assets, net	16,357,000	16,157,000
Other	1,457,000	1,415,000
Total assets	586,859,000	575,411,000
Accounts payable	12,087,000	12,747,000
Compensation and other accrued liabilities	15,550,000	19,641,000
Interest Payable, Current	11,264,000	2,031,000
Taxes Payable, Current	3,690,000	0
Unearned revenue	23,430,000	23,895,000
Total current liabilities	67,398,000	65,341,000
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	460,124,000	460,777,000
Pension obligations	25,713,000	26,745,000
Postretirement and postemployment benefit obligations	2,570,000	2,580,000
Deferred income taxes	39,271,000	39,108,000
Income taxes payable	6,964,000	6,559,000
Warrants and other	10,912,000	10,561,000
Total liabilities	612,952,000	611,671,000
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Serial convertible preferred stock, no par value; authorized 500 shares; none issued	0	0
December 30, 2018: 57,691 shares;
Additional paid-in capital	253,443,000	253,511,000
Accumulated deficit	(269,330,000)	(279,691,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(11,868,000)	(11,746,000)
Total stockholders' deficit	(27,178,000)	(37,354,000)
Non-controlling interests	1,085,000	1,094,000
Total deficit	(26,093,000)	(36,260,000)
Total liabilities and deficit	586,859,000	575,411,000
Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common Stock, $0.01 par value; authorized 120,000 shares; issued and outstanding:	577,000	572,000
Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common Stock, $0.01 par value; authorized 120,000 shares; issued and outstanding:	$ 0	$ 0

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Organization Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited, interim, Consolidated Financial Statements included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for quarterly reports. In the opinion of management, these financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring items) necessary to present fairly the financial position of Lee Enterprises, Incorporated and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 30, 2018 and our results of operations, changes in stockholder's equity and cash flows for the periods presented. The Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company's 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Because of seasonal and other factors, the results of operations for the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. References to “we”, “our”, “us” and the like throughout the Consolidated Financial Statements refer to the Company. References to “2019”, “2018” and the like refer to the fiscal years ended the last Sunday in September. The Consolidated Financial Statements include our accounts and those of our subsidiaries, all of which are wholly-owned, except for our 50% interest in TNI Partners (“TNI”), 50% interest in Madison Newspapers, Inc. (“MNI”) and 82.5% interest in INN Partners, L.C. ("TownNews"). Investments in TNI and MNI are accounted for using the equity method and are reported at cost, plus our share of undistributed earnings since acquisition less, for TNI, amortization of intangible assets. On June 26, 2018, in the Company's fourth fiscal quarter, we entered into an agreement with BH Media Group, Inc. ("BH Media") to manage Berkshire Hathaway's newspaper and digital operations in 30 markets, beginning July 2, 2018 (the "Management Agreement"). The Company operates BH Media consistent with how it manages its own newspaper and digital operations. Among other decisions, Berkshire Hathaway is responsible for approving operating and capital budgets. The Management Agreement extends for a term of five years and may be extended thereafter for successive one-year terms on such terms as may be mutually agreed to by the Company and Berkshire Hathaway. The Management Agreement provides for the Company to be paid a fixed annual fee of $5 million, payable quarterly in arrears, and a variable fee based on the financial performance of BH Media. The variable fees are payable annually in arrears. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We evaluate these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. New accounting pronouncements Between 2014 and 2017, the FASB issued several new standards which collectively comprise ASC Topic 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. Topic 606 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition” and is effective fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Topic 606 provides a five-step model in determining when and how revenue is recognized and requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration a company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. Topic 606 also requires new disclosures about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. We adopted Topic 606 on October 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method applied to those contracts which were not completed as of that date. We have completed our assessment and have not identified any significant changes to our revenue recognition policies. We identified similar performance obligations under Topic 606 as compared with the deliverables and separate units of accounting previously identified under Topic 605. As a result, the timing and amount of our revenue recognition were not impacted and we did not make any adjustments under the modified retrospective adoption method. We have also assessed the new accounting principles related to the deferral and amortization of contract acquisition costs and due to the short-term nature of such costs, we will utilize the practical expedient to continue to expense these costs as incurred. See note 11 for more information on our revenues and the application of Topic 606. In August 2016, the FASB issued a new standard to conform the presentation in the statement of cash flows for certain transactions, including cash distributions from equity method investments, among others. There was no change to the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows as a result of the adoption of this standard for the quarter ended December 30, 2018. Specifically, distributions received from equity method investees continue to be presented on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows utilizing the cumulative earnings approach. In March 2017, the FASB issued a new standard to improve the presentation of pension and postretirement benefit expense. The new standard requires that the service cost component of pension and postretirement benefits expense is recognized as compensation expense, while the remaining components of the expense (benefit) are presented as non-operating income in other, net. This new standard was adopted for the quarter ended December 30, 2018 and has been retrospectively applied to the Statement of Operations for all comparative periods presented. We recorded benefits of $711,000 in other, net in non-operating income (expense) for the quarter ended December 30, 2018. We reclassified benefits of $708,000 from compensation to other, net in non-operating income (expense) for the quarter ended December 24, 2017. In February 2018, FASB issued new guidance to allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from what is commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "2017 Tax Act"). In the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, we remeasured our deferred taxes related to unrealized gains on our investment balances using the reduced tax rate. As required by GAAP, we recognized the net tax benefit in the provision for income taxes in our consolidated income statements, and we reclassified a $3,067,000 net tax benefit from AOCI to retained earnings in our consolidated balance sheets. Adoption of the standard had no impact to our consolidated income statements or cash flows statements.

Investments in Associated Compa

Investments in Associated Companies	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Investments In Associated Companies [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments Disclosure [Text Block]	INVESTMENTS IN ASSOCIATED COMPANIES TNI Partners In Tucson, Arizona, TNI, acting as agent for our subsidiary, Star Publishing Company (“Star Publishing”), and Citizen Publishing Company (“Citizen”), a subsidiary of Gannett Co. Inc., is responsible for printing, delivery, advertising, and subscription activities of the Arizona Daily Star as well as the related digital platforms and specialty publications. TNI collects all receipts and income and pays substantially all operating expenses incident to the partnership's operations and publication of the newspaper and other media. Income or loss of TNI (before income taxes) is allocated equally to Star Publishing and Citizen. Summarized results of TNI are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Operating revenue 12,164 13,230 Operating expenses 9,095 9,982 Operating income 3,069 3,248 Company's 50% share of operating income 1,535 1,624 Less amortization of intangible assets 105 105 Equity in earnings of TNI 1,430 1,519 TNI makes weekly distributions of its earnings and for the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 and December 24, 2017 we received $549,000 and $1,567,000 in distributions, respectively. Madison Newspapers, Inc. We have a 50% ownership interest in MNI, which publishes daily and Sunday newspapers, and other publications in Madison, Wisconsin, and other Wisconsin locations, and operates their related digital platforms. Net income or loss of MNI (after income taxes) is allocated equally to us and The Capital Times Company (“TCT”). MNI conducts its business under the trade name Capital Newspapers. Summarized results of MNI are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Operating revenue 14,826 16,065 Operating expenses, excluding restructuring costs, depreciation and amortization 12,663 12,932 Restructuring costs 30 64 Depreciation and amortization 280 279 Operating income 1,853 2,790 Net income 1,398 1,728 Equity in earnings of MNI 699 864 MNI makes quarterly distributions of its earnings and in the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 and December 24, 2017 we received dividends of $750,000 in both years.

Goodwill and other Intangible A

Goodwill and other Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 Goodwill, gross amount 1,535,155 Accumulated impairment losses (1,288,979 ) Goodwill, beginning of period 246,176 Goodwill, end of period 246,176 Identified intangible assets consist of the following: (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 September 30 Nonamortized intangible assets: Mastheads 21,883 21,883 Amortizable intangible assets: Customer and newspaper subscriber lists 692,982 692,886 Less accumulated amortization 599,283 594,950 93,699 97,936 Other intangible assets, net 115,582 119,819 Annual amortization of intangible assets for the years ending December 2019 to December 2023 is estimated to be $16,069,000 , $15,608,000 , $13,706,000 , $12,164,000 and $11,513,000 , respectively.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Debt [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	DEBT On March 31, 2014, we completed a comprehensive refinancing of our debt (the"2014 Refinancing"), which included the following: • $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 9.5% Senior Secured Notes (the “Notes”), pursuant to an Indenture dated as of March 31, 2014 (the “Indenture”). • $250,000,000 first lien term loan (the "1 st Lien Term Loan") and $40,000,000 revolving facility (the "Revolving Facility") under a First Lien Credit Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (together the “1 st Lien Credit Facility”). • $150,000,000 second lien term loan under a Second Lien Loan Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (the “2 nd Lien Term Loan”). In December 2018 we amended our 1 st Lien Credit Facility to amend and extend our Revolving Facility (the "Amendment"). The Amendment, among other changes, extends the maturity of the revolving loan commitments of the 1 st Lien Lenders for twelve months and reduces the revolver loan commitments from $40,000,000 to $27,200,000 with a further 15% reduction to the revolving loan commitments of the 1 st Lien Term Lenders effective as of July 31, 2019. Debt is summarized as follows: Interest Rates (%) (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 September 30 December 30 Revolving Facility — — 6.1 1 st Lien Term Loan — 6,303 8.5 Notes 385,000 385,000 9.5 2 nd Lien Term Loan 92,832 93,556 12.0 477,832 484,859 Unamortized debt issue costs (16,331 ) (17,055 ) Current maturities of long-term debt 1,377 7,027 Total long-term debt 460,124 460,777 Our weighted average cost of debt, excluding amortization of debt financing costs at December 30, 2018 , is 10.0% . At December 30, 2018 , aggregate minimum required maturities of debt excluding amounts required to be paid from future excess cash flow computations total $ 1,377,000 for the remainder of 2019, $ 0 in 2020, $0 in 2021, $385,000,000 in 2022 and $91,455,000 in 2023. Notes The Notes are senior secured obligations of the Company and mature on March 15, 2022. At December 30, 2018 , the principal balance of the Notes totaled $385,000,000 . Interest The Notes require payment of interest semiannually on March 15 and September 15 of each year, at a fixed annual rate of 9.5% . Redemption We may redeem some, or all, of the principal amount of the Notes at any time as follows: Period Beginning Percentage of Principal Amount March 15, 2018 104.75 March 15, 2019 102.38 March 15, 2020 100.00 If we sell certain of our assets or experience specific kinds of changes of control, we must, subject to certain exceptions, offer to purchase the Notes at 101% of the principal amount. Any redemption of the Notes must also satisfy any accrued and unpaid interest thereon. Covenants and Other Matters The Indenture and the 1 st Lien Credit Facility contain restrictive covenants as discussed more fully below. However, certain of these covenants will cease to apply if the Notes are rated investment grade by either Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group and there is no default or event of default under the Indenture. 1 st Lien Credit Facility The 1 st Lien Credit Facility consists of the $250,000,000 1 st Lien Term Loan that matures in March 31, 2019 and the $27,200,000 Revolving Facility that matures on December 28, 2019. The 1 st Lien Credit Facility documents the primary terms of the 1 st Lien Term Loan and the Revolving Facility. The Revolving Facility may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes (including letters of credit). At December 30, 2018 , after consideration of letters of credit, we have approximately $21,435,000 available for future use under the Revolving Facility. The 1 st Lien Term Loan was paid in full in November 2018 and has no outstanding balance as of December 30, 2018 . Interest Interest on the Revolving Facility, which has a principal balance of zero at December 30, 2018 , accrues, at our option, at either (A) LIBOR plus 5.5% , or (B) 4.5% plus the higher of (i) the prime rate at the time, (ii) the federal funds rate plus 0.5% , or (iii) one month LIBOR plus 1.0%. Covenants and Other Matters The 1 st Lien Credit Facility requires that we comply with certain affirmative and negative covenants customary for financing of this nature, including a maximum total leverage ratio, which is only applicable to the Revolving Facility. The 1 st Lien Credit Facility restricts us from paying dividends on our Common Stock. This restriction no longer applies if Lee Legacy leverage is below 3.25x before and after such payments. Lee Legacy leverage as defined is 4.1x at December 30, 2018. Further, the 1 st Lien Credit Facility restricts or limits, among other things, subject to certain exceptions, the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to: (i) incur indebtedness, (ii) enter into mergers, acquisitions and asset sales, (iii) incur or create liens and (iv) enter into transactions with certain affiliates. The 1 st Lien Credit Facility contains various representations and warranties and may be terminated upon occurrence of certain events of default. The 1 st Lien Credit Facility also contains cross-default provisions tied to the terms of each of the Indenture and 2 nd Lien Term Loan. 2 nd Lien Term Loan The 2 nd Lien Term Loan, which has a balance of $92,832,000 at December 30, 2018 , bears interest at a fixed annual rate of 12.0% , payable quarterly, and matures in December 2022. Principal Payments Excluding excess cash flow payments, there are no scheduled mandatory amortization payments required under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan. Quarterly, we are required to prepare a calculation of excess cash flow of the Pulitzer Subsidiaries ("Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow"). Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow is generally determined as the cash earnings of the Pulitzer Subsidiaries including adjustments for changes in working capital, capital spending, pension contributions, debt principal payments and income tax payments. Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow also includes a deduction for interest costs incurred under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan. Prior to March 31, 2017, we were required to offer the Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow to the 2nd Lien Lenders to prepay the 2nd Lien Term Loan at par, which payment the 2nd Lien Lenders could accept or reject. After March 31, 2017, Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow is used to prepay the 2nd Lien Term Loan, at par. Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow payments are required to be paid 45 days after the end of the quarter. Payments will also be made on the 2 nd Lien Term Loan, at par, with proceeds from asset sales by the Pulitzer Subsidiaries that are not reinvested subject to certain other conditions. During the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 , payments on the 2 nd Lien Term Loan totaled $724,000 . For the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 , Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow totaled $1,377,000 , which will be used to make a payment on the 2 nd Lien Term Loan in February 2019, at par. Voluntary payments under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan are subject to call premiums as follows: Period Beginning Percentage of Principal Amount March 31, 2017 106 March 31, 2018 103 March 31, 2019 100 Covenants and Other Matters The 2 nd Lien Term Loan requires that we comply with certain affirmative and negative covenants customary for financing of this nature, including the negative covenants under the 1 st Lien Credit Facility discussed above. The 2 nd Lien Term Loan contains various representations and warranties and may be terminated upon occurrence of certain events of default. The 2 nd Lien Term Loan also contains cross-default provisions tied to the terms of the Indenture and 1 st Lien Credit Facility. In connection with the 2 nd Lien Term Loan, we entered into a Warrant Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (the “Warrant Agreement”). Under the Warrant Agreement, certain affiliates or designees of the 2 nd Lien Lenders received on March 31, 2014 their pro rata share of warrants to purchase, in cash, an initial aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment pursuant to anti-dilution provisions (the “Warrants”). The Warrants represent, when fully exercised, approximately 10.1% of shares of Common Stock outstanding at March 30, 2014 on a fully diluted basis. The exercise price of the Warrants is $4.19 per share. The Warrant Agreement contains provisions requiring the Warrants to be measured at fair value and included in other liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We re-measure the fair value of the liability each reporting period, with changes reported in other, net non-operating income (expense). The initial fair value of the Warrants was $ 16,930,000 . See Note 9. In connection with the issuance of the Warrants, we entered into a Registration Rights Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). The Registration Rights Agreement requires, among other matters, that we use our commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness for certain specified periods of a shelf registration statement related to the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of the Warrants. Security The Notes and the 1 st Lien Credit Facility are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several first-priority basis by each of the Company's material domestic subsidiaries, excluding MNI, the Pulitzer Subsidiaries and TNI (the "Lee Legacy Assignors"), pursuant to a first lien guarantee and collateral agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (the "1 st Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement"). The Notes, the 1 st Lien Credit Facility and the subsidiary guarantees are secured, subject to certain exceptions, priorities and limitations, by perfected security interests in all property and assets, including certain real estate, of the Lee Legacy Assignors, other than the capital stock of MNI and any property and assets of MNI (the “Lee Legacy Collateral”), on a first-priority basis, equally and ratably with all of the Lee Legacy Assignors' existing and future obligations. The Lee Legacy Collateral includes, among other things, equipment, inventory, accounts receivables, depository accounts, intellectual property and certain of their other tangible and intangible assets. Also, the Notes and the 1 st Lien Credit Facility are secured, subject to certain exceptions, priorities and limitations in the various agreements, by first-priority security interests in the capital stock of, and other equity interests owned by, the Lee Legacy Assignors (excluding the capital stock of MNI). The Notes and 1 st Lien Credit Facility are subject to a Pari Passu Intercreditor Agreement dated March 31, 2014. The Notes, the 1 st Lien Credit Facility and the subsidiary guarantees are also secured, subject to permitted liens, by a second-priority security interest in the property and assets of the Pulitzer Subsidiaries that become subsidiary guarantors (the "Pulitzer Assignors") other than assets of or used in the operations or business of TNI (collectively, the “Pulitzer Collateral”). In June 2015 the Pulitzer Assignors became a party to the 1 st Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement on a second lien basis. Also, the Notes and the 1 st Lien Credit Facility are secured, subject to certain exceptions, priorities, and limitations in the various agreements, by second-priority security interests in the capital stock of, and other equity interests in, the Pulitzer Assignors and Star Publishing’s interest in TNI. The 2 nd Lien Term Loan is fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several first-priority basis by the Pulitzer Assignors, pursuant to a Second Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 (the “2 nd Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement”) among the Pulitzer Assignors and the 2 nd Lien collateral agent. Under the 2 nd Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, the Pulitzer Assignors have granted (i) first-priority security interests, subject to certain priorities and limitations in the various agreements, in the Pulitzer Collateral and (ii) have granted first-priority lien mortgages or deeds of trust covering certain real estate, as collateral for the payment and performance of their obligations under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan. Also, under the 2 nd Lien Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, the Lee Legacy Assignors have granted (i) second-priority security interests, subject to certain priorities and limitations in the various agreements, in the Lee Legacy Collateral, and (ii) have granted second-priority lien mortgages or deeds of trust covering certain real estate, as collateral for the payment and performance of their obligations under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan. Assets of, or used in the operations or business of, MNI are excluded. The rights of each of the collateral agents with respect to the Lee Legacy Collateral and the Pulitzer Collateral are subject to customary intercreditor and intercompany agreements. Other In connection with the 2014 Refinancing, we capitalized $37,819,000 of debt financing costs. Amortization of debt financing costs totaled $724,000 in the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 . Amortization of such costs is estimated to total $2,863,000 for the remainder of 2019, $3,958,000 in 2020, $4,116,000 in 2021, $4,286,000 in 2022, and $1,108,000 in 2023. At December 30, 2018 , we have $16,331,000 of unamortized debt financing costs recorded as a reduction of Long-term debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Liquidity At December 30, 2018 , after consideration of letters of credit, we have approximately $21,435,000 available for future use under our Revolving Facility, which expires on December 28, 2019. Including cash, our liquidity at December 30, 2018 totals $37,344,000 . This liquidity amount excludes any future cash flows. We expect all interest and principal payments due in the next twelve months will be satisfied by existing cash and our cash flows, which will allow us to maintain an adequate level of liquidity. The Warrants, if and when exercised, would provide additional liquidity in an amount up to $25,140,000 subject to a reduction for any amounts the Company may elect to use to repay our 1 st Lien Term Loan and/or the Notes. Excluding our Revolving Facility, which is undrawn as of December 30, 2018, final maturities of our debt range from March 2022 through December 2022. Our Revolving Facility expires December 28, 2019. There are numerous potential consequences under the Notes, 1 st Lien Credit Facility and 2 nd Lien Term Loan, if an event of default, as defined, occurs and is not remedied. Many of those consequences are beyond our control. The occurrence of one or more events of default would give rise to the right of the applicable lender(s) to exercise their remedies under the Notes, 1 st Lien Credit Facility and 2 nd Lien Term Loan, respectively, including, without limitation, the right to accelerate all outstanding debt and take actions authorized in such circumstances under applicable collateral security documents. Our ability to operate as a going concern is dependent on our ability to remain in compliance with debt covenants and to repay, refinance or amend our debt agreements as they become due. The Notes, 1 st Lien Credit Facility and 2 nd Lien Term Loan have only limited affirmative covenants with which we are required to maintain compliance. We are in compliance with our debt covenants at December 30, 2018 .

Pension, Postretirement, and Po

Pension, Postretirement, and Postemployement Obligations	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Pension Postretirement And Postemployment Defined Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS We have several noncontributory defined benefit pension plans that together cover selected employees. Benefits under the plans were generally based on salary and years of service. Effective in 2012, substantially all benefits are frozen and only a small amount of additional benefits are being accrued. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the plans are recorded over the service period of employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. Plan funding strategies are influenced by government regulations. Plan assets consist primarily of domestic and foreign corporate equity securities, government and corporate bonds, hedge fund investments and cash. In addition, we provide retiree medical and life insurance benefits under postretirement plans at several of our operating locations. The level and adjustment of participant contributions vary depending on the specific plan. In addition, St. Louis Post-Dispatch LLC, provides postemployment disability benefits to certain employee groups prior to retirement. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the postretirement plans are recorded over the service period of active employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. We accrue postemployment disability benefits when it becomes probable that such benefits will be paid and when sufficient information exists to make reasonable estimates of the amounts to be paid. We use a fiscal year end measurement date for all of our pension and postretirement medical plan obligations. The net periodic postretirement cost (benefit) components for our postretirement plans are as follows: PENSION PLANS 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Service cost for benefits earned during the period 9 12 Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 1,641 1,438 Expected return on plan assets (2,018 ) (1,983 ) Amortization of net loss 284 506 Amortization of prior service benefit (25 ) (34 ) Pension benefit (109 ) (61 ) POSTRETIREMENT MEDICAL PLANS 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Service cost for benefits earned during the period — — Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 103 90 Expected return on plan assets (270 ) (270 ) Amortization of net gain (244 ) (246 ) Amortization of prior service benefit (181 ) (196 ) Postretirement medical benefit (592 ) (622 ) In the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018, we adopted the new accounting standard to improve the presentation of pension and postretirement benefit expenses. As a result, the service cost for benefits earned during the period continue to be included as compensation in the Consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive income, while the other components of the pension benefit are recorded as non-operating income in other, net. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. In the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 , we contributed $650,000 to our pension plans. Based on our forecast at December 30, 2018 , we do not expect to make contributions to our pension trust during the remainder of 2019.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	INCOME TAXES We recorded income tax expense of $4,513,000 related to income before taxes of $15,232,000 for the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 . For the 13 weeks ended December 24, 2017 , we recorded $19,690,000 in income tax benefit related to income before taxes of $15,637,000 . The effective income tax rate for the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 and December 24, 2017 was a 29.6% expense and 125.9% benefit, respectively. Excluding the transitional impact from the 2017 Tax Act, the effective income tax rate for the 13 weeks ended December 24, 2017 was 33.1%. The primary differences between these rates and the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% are due to the effect of state taxes, non-deductible expenses, adjustments to reserves for uncertain tax positions, including any related interest, and mark-to-market adjustments to value the Warrants. We file a consolidated federal tax return, as well as combined and separate tax returns in approximately 27 state and local jurisdictions. We do not currently have any federal or state income tax examinations in progress. Our income tax returns have generally been audited or closed to audit through 2012. See Note 10 for a discussion of our tax audits. At September 25, 2018, we had approximately $63,048,000 of state net operating loss benefits. The Company consumed its federal net operating losses in the year ended September 30, 2018.

Earnings per Common Share

Earnings per Common Share	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Earnings Loss Per Common Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars and Shares, Except Per Share Data) December 30 December 24 Income attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated: 10,361 35,003 Weighted average common shares 57,303 56,782 Less weighted average restricted Common Stock (2,099 ) (2,453 ) Basic average common shares 55,204 54,329 Dilutive stock options and restricted Common Stock 1,497 1,483 Diluted average common shares 56,701 55,812 Earnings per common share: Basic 0.19 0.64 Diluted 0.18 0.63 For the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 , and December 24, 2017 , 6,448,000 and 6,707,000 weighted average shares, respectively, were not considered in the computation of diluted earnings per common share because the exercise prices of the related stock options and Warrants were in excess of the fair market value of our Common Stock.

Stock Ownership Plans

Stock Ownership Plans	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Stock Ownership Plans [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS A summary of stock option activity during the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 follows: (Thousands of Dollars and Shares, Except Per Share Data) Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value Outstanding, September 30, 2018 1,100 1.88 Exercised (8 ) 1.48 Cancelled (69 ) 2.32 Outstanding, December 30, 2018 1,023 1.86 2.3 443 Exercisable, December 30, 2018 1,023 1.86 2.3 443 Restricted Common Stock The table below summarizes restricted Common Stock activity during the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 : (Thousands of Shares, Except Per Share Data) Shares Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Outstanding, September 30, 2018 2,059 2.31 Vested (728 ) 1.53 Granted 788 2.18 Cancelled (24 ) 2.01 Outstanding, December 30, 2018 2,095 2.53 Total unrecognized compensation expense for unvested restricted Common Stock at December 30, 2018 is $3,224,000 , which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.9 years.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS We utilize FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures , to measure and report fair value. FASB ASC Topic 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. FASB ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy of fair value measurements based on whether the inputs to those measurements are observable or unobservable, which consists of the following levels: Level 1 - Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. Level 2 - Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable in active markets. Level 3 - Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable. The following methods and assumptions are used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate value. The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, contract assets and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments. Investments totaling $6,068,000 , including our 17% ownership of the nonvoting common stock of TCT and a private equity investment, are carried at cost. As of December 30, 2018, based on the most recent data available, the approximate fair value of the private equity investment is $9,118,000, which is a level 3 fair value measurement. Fair value of the remaining investments approximates book value. Our fixed rate debt consists of $385,000,000 principal amount of the Notes and $92,832,000 principal amount under the 2 nd Lien Term Loan. At December 30, 2018 , based on private market price quotations, the fair values were $390,293,750 and $91,903,892 for the Notes and 2 nd Lien Term Loan, respectively. These represent level 2 fair value measurements. As discussed more fully in Note 4, we recorded a liability for the Warrants issued in connection with the Warrant Agreement. The liability was initially measured at its fair value and we remeasure the liability to fair value each reporting period, with changes reported in other non-operating income (expense). The initial fair value of the Warrants was $ 16,930,000 . The fair value of Warrants at September 2018 and December 2018 are $1,807,000 and $1,726,000 , respectively. Fair value is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. These represent level 2 fair value measurements.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES Income Taxes Commitments exclude unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes . We are unable to reasonably estimate the ultimate amount or timing of cash settlements with the respective taxing authorities for such matters. See Note 6. We file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and various state tax jurisdictions. From time to time, we are subject to routine audits by those agencies and those audits may result in proposed adjustments. We have considered the alternative interpretations that may be assumed by the various taxing agencies, believe our positions taken regarding our filings are valid, and that adequate tax liabilities have been recorded to resolve such matters. However, the actual outcome cannot be determined with certainty and the difference could be material, either positively or negatively, to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) in the periods in which such matters are ultimately determined. We do not believe the final resolution of such matters will be material to our consolidated financial position or cash flows. We have various income tax examinations ongoing and at various stages of completion, but generally our income tax returns have been audited or closed to audit through 2009. Legal Proceedings We are involved in a variety of legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. Insurance coverage mitigates potential loss for certain of these matters. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these legal actions, it is our opinion that the disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole. Multiemployer Pension Plans The Company contributes to three multiemployer pension plans. In June 2017, a union contract covering certain of our employees under a multiemployer pension plan expired resulting in a partial withdrawal from one of the multiemployer plans. In 2017, the Company recorded an estimate of the partial withdrawal liability totaling $2,600,000. Once the multiemployer pension plan's administrators finalize the partial withdrawal liability, it will be paid in equal installments over a twenty year period.

Revenue (Notes)

Revenue (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]	REVENUE In the current quarter, we adopted the new revenue recognition accounting pronouncement related to revenue from contracts with customers, using the modified retrospective method applied to those contracts which were not completed as of the adoption date. Results for reporting periods beginning after October 1, 2018 are presented under the new guidance while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with legacy accounting under the old guidance. We did not record any adjustments to beginning retained earnings at October 1, 2018 as a result of adopting the new guidance. The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by source: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Subscription revenue 46,268 48,269 Advertising and marketing services revenues 75,962 84,661 TownNews and other digital services revenues 4,677 3,661 Other revenues 9,294 7,195 Total operating revenue 136,201 143,786 Recognition principles: Revenues are recognized when a performance obligation is satisfied by the transfer of control of the contracted goods or services to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services. Advertising and marketing services revenues: Advertising and marketing services revenues include amounts charged to customers for retail or classified advertising space purchased in our newspapers, retail or classified advertisements placed on our digital platforms, and other print advertising products such as preprint inserts and direct mail. Advertising and marketing services revenues also include amounts charged to customers for digital marketing services which include: Audience extension, Search Engine Optimization ("SEO"), Search Engine Marketing ("SEM"), web and mobile production, social media services and reputation monitoring and management. The following define the timing of revenue recognition for each general revenue category: • Print advertising revenues are recognized at the point in time the associated publication has been delivered. • Digital advertising revenues are recognized at the point in time that impressions are delivered. • Digital marketing services revenues are recognized over the period of time which the service is performed. Advertising and marketing services contract transaction prices consist of fixed consideration. We recognize revenue when control of the related performance obligation transfers to the customer. Payments for advertising revenues are due upon completion of our performance obligations at previously agreed upon rates. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, such timing differences are not large. As a result, we have determined that our contracts do not include a significant financing component. Subscription revenues: Subscription revenues include revenues for content delivered to consumers via print and digital products purchased by readers or distributors. Single copy revenues are also included in subscription revenues. Subscription revenues from single-copy and home delivery subscriptions are recognized at the point in time the publications are delivered. Digital subscription revenues are recognized over time as performance obligations are met via on-demand availability of online content made available to customers throughout the contract term. Payments for subscription revenues are typically collected in advance, are for contract periods of one year or less and result in an unearned revenue liability that is reduced when revenue is recognized. Other revenues: Other revenues are primarily comprised of digital services, Management Agreement revenues, commercial printing and delivery of third party products. Digital services revenues, which are primarily delivered through TownNews, are primarily comprised of contractual agreements to provide webhosting and content management services. As such, digital services revenues are recognized over the contract period. Prices for digital services are agreed upon in advance of the contract beginning and are typically billed in arrears on a monthly basis, with the exception of implementation fees which are recognized as deferred revenue and amortized over the contract period. Management Agreement revenues, consisting of fees collected from our Management Agreement, are recognized based on BH Media financial progress toward contractual performance goals related to certain financial benchmarks. BH Media provides historical and projected financial reports, which serve as the basis for our revenue recognition. Fixed Management Agreement revenues are recognized over time and paid quarterly and variable fees are paid annually. Variable fees are recognized when the fees are deemed earned and it is probable that substantially all of the consideration will be collected. Commercial printing and delivery revenues are recognized when the product is delivered to the customer. Arrangements with multiple performance obligations: We have various advertising and subscription agreements which include both print and digital performance obligations. Revenues from sales agreements that contain multiple performance obligations are allocated to each obligation based on the relative standalone selling price. We determine standalone selling prices based on observable prices charged to customers. Contract Assets and Liabilities: The Company’s primary source of unearned revenue is from subscriptions paid in advance of the service provided. The Company expects to recognize the revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations over the next three to twelve months in accordance with the terms of the subscriptions and other contracts with customers. The unearned revenue balances described herein are the Company's only contract liability under ASC 606. Unearned revenues were $23,430,000 as of December 30, 2018 and $23,895,000 as of September 30, 2018 . Revenues recognized in the quarter that were included in the contract liability as of September 30, 2018 were $15,727,000 . Contract asset balances relate to our Management Agreement revenues and were $1,106,000 as of December 30, 2018 and $0 as of September 30, 2018 and consisted solely of the variable portion of the contract. These contract asset balances are included in accounts receivable and contract assets, net. There are no other contract assets recorded. Accounts receivable, excluding allowance for doubtful accounts and contract assets, was $55,139,000 and $48,517,000 as of December 30, 2018 and September 30, 2018 , respectively. Allowance for doubtful accounts was $5,208,000 and $4,806,000 as of December 30, 2018 and September 30, 2018 , respectively. Practical expedients and exemptions: Sales commissions are expensed as incurred as the associated contractual periods are one year or less. These costs are recorded within compensation. Additionally, we do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations because the vast majority of our contracts have original expected lengths of one year or less and revenue is earned at a rate and amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer.

Investments in Associated Com_2

Investments in Associated Companies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Equity Method Investee- TNI [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]	Summarized results of TNI are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Operating revenue 12,164 13,230 Operating expenses 9,095 9,982 Operating income 3,069 3,248 Company's 50% share of operating income 1,535 1,624 Less amortization of intangible assets 105 105 Equity in earnings of TNI 1,430 1,519
Equity Method Investee- MNI [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]	Summarized results of MNI are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Operating revenue 14,826 16,065 Operating expenses, excluding restructuring costs, depreciation and amortization 12,663 12,932 Restructuring costs 30 64 Depreciation and amortization 280 279 Operating income 1,853 2,790 Net income 1,398 1,728 Equity in earnings of MNI 699 864

Goodwill and other Intangible_2

Goodwill and other Intangible Assets (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Goodwill [Line Items]
Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]	Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill are as follows: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 Goodwill, gross amount 1,535,155 Accumulated impairment losses (1,288,979 ) Goodwill, beginning of period 246,176 Goodwill, end of period 246,176
Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]	Identified intangible assets consist of the following: (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 September 30 Nonamortized intangible assets: Mastheads 21,883 21,883 Amortizable intangible assets: Customer and newspaper subscriber lists 692,982 692,886 Less accumulated amortization 599,283 594,950 93,699 97,936 Other intangible assets, net 115,582 119,819

Debt Schedule Of Debt Outstandi

Debt Schedule Of Debt Outstanding (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]	Debt is summarized as follows: Interest Rates (%) (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 September 30 December 30 Revolving Facility — — 6.1 1 st Lien Term Loan — 6,303 8.5 Notes 385,000 385,000 9.5 2 nd Lien Term Loan 92,832 93,556 12.0 477,832 484,859 Unamortized debt issue costs (16,331 ) (17,055 ) Current maturities of long-term debt 1,377 7,027 Total long-term debt 460,124 460,777

Debt Schedule of Debt Provision

Debt Schedule of Debt Provisions (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
New Second Lien Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument Redemption [Table Text Block]	Period Beginning Percentage of Principal Amount March 31, 2017 106 March 31, 2018 103 March 31, 2019 100
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument Redemption [Table Text Block]	Period Beginning Percentage of Principal Amount March 15, 2018 104.75 March 15, 2019 102.38 March 15, 2020 100.00

Pension, Postretirement, and _2

Pension, Postretirement, and Postemployement Obligations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Pension Postretirement And Postemployment Defined Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]	The net periodic postretirement cost (benefit) components for our postretirement plans are as follows: PENSION PLANS 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Service cost for benefits earned during the period 9 12 Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 1,641 1,438 Expected return on plan assets (2,018 ) (1,983 ) Amortization of net loss 284 506 Amortization of prior service benefit (25 ) (34 ) Pension benefit (109 ) (61 ) POSTRETIREMENT MEDICAL PLANS 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Service cost for benefits earned during the period — — Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 103 90 Expected return on plan assets (270 ) (270 ) Amortization of net gain (244 ) (246 ) Amortization of prior service benefit (181 ) (196 ) Postretirement medical benefit (592 ) (622 )

Earnings per Common Share (Tabl

Earnings per Common Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars and Shares, Except Per Share Data) December 30 December 24 Income attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated: 10,361 35,003 Weighted average common shares 57,303 56,782 Less weighted average restricted Common Stock (2,099 ) (2,453 ) Basic average common shares 55,204 54,329 Dilutive stock options and restricted Common Stock 1,497 1,483 Diluted average common shares 56,701 55,812 Earnings per common share: Basic 0.19 0.64 Diluted 0.18 0.63

Stock Ownership Plans (Tables)

Stock Ownership Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Table Text Block]	The table below summarizes restricted Common Stock activity during the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 : (Thousands of Shares, Except Per Share Data) Shares Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Outstanding, September 30, 2018 2,059 2.31 Vested (728 ) 1.53 Granted 788 2.18 Cancelled (24 ) 2.01 Outstanding, December 30, 2018 2,095 2.53
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Table Text Block]	A summary of stock option activity during the 13 weeks ended December 30, 2018 follows: (Thousands of Dollars and Shares, Except Per Share Data) Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value Outstanding, September 30, 2018 1,100 1.88 Exercised (8 ) 1.48 Cancelled (69 ) 2.32 Outstanding, December 30, 2018 1,023 1.86 2.3 443 Exercisable, December 30, 2018 1,023 1.86 2.3 443

Revenue (Tables)

Revenue (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Table Text Block]	The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by source: 13 Weeks Ended (Thousands of Dollars) December 30 December 24 Subscription revenue 46,268 48,269 Advertising and marketing services revenues 75,962 84,661 TownNews and other digital services revenues 4,677 3,661 Other revenues 9,294 7,195 Total operating revenue 136,201 143,786

Basis of Presentation Schedule

Basis of Presentation Schedule of Less than 100% Subsidiaries (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018
Equity Method Investee- TNI [Member]
Schedule Of Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries [Line Items]
Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries, Percentage Owned	50.00%
Equity Method Investee- MNI [Member]
Schedule Of Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries [Line Items]
Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries, Percentage Owned	50.00%
INN Partners [Member]
Schedule Of Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries [Line Items]
Less Than 100% Owned Subsidiaries, Percentage Owned	82.50%

Investments in Associated Com_3

Investments in Associated Companies Summarized Financial Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity in earnings of associated companies	$ 2,129,000	$ 2,383,000
Equity Method Investee- TNI [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Distribution	549,000	1,567,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	12,164,000	13,230,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Operating Expenses Excluding Depreciation, Amortization And Workforce Adjustments	9,095,000	9,982,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Operating Income	3,069,000	3,248,000
Income (Loss) From Equity Method Investments Before Amortization	1,535,000	1,624,000
Amortization Of Intangible Assets- TNI	105,000	105,000
Equity in earnings of associated companies	1,430,000	1,519,000
Equity Method Investee- MNI [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Distribution	750,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	14,826,000	16,065,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Operating Expenses Excluding Depreciation, Amortization And Workforce Adjustments	12,663,000	12,932,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Workforce Adjustments	30,000	64,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Depreciation And Amortization	280,000	279,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Operating Income	1,853,000	2,790,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	1,398,000	1,728,000
Equity in earnings of associated companies	$ 699,000	$ 864,000

Goodwill and other Intangible_3

Goodwill and other Intangible Assets Schedule of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 30, 2018USD ($)
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Gross	$ 1,535,155
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	$ 1,288,979

Goodwill and other Intangible_4

Goodwill and other Intangible Assets Schedule of Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Schedule of Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Mastheads	$ 21,883,000	$ 21,883,000
Other intangible assets, net	115,582,000	119,819,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Next Twelve Months	16,069,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Rolling Year Two	15,608,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Three	13,706,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Four	12,164,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Five	11,513,000
Customer Lists [Member]
Schedule of Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	692,982,000	692,886,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	599,283,000	594,950,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 93,699,000	$ 97,936,000

Debt Schedule of Long-Term Debt

Debt Schedule of Long-Term Debt Instruments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Mar. 30, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	$ (16,331,000)
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	724,000
Warrant liability fair value	$ 1,726,000		$ 1,807,000	$ 16,930,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	10.00%
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 477,832,000		484,859,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	385,000,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	91,455,000
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,377,000		7,027,000
Long-term Debt	460,124,000		460,777,000
Liquidity	37,344,000
Future Liquidity- Warrant Exercise Proceeds	$ 25,140,000
Revolving Line Of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount			0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	$ 21,435,000
Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	27,200,000		40,000,000
New Revolving Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	27,200,000
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	0
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate at Period End	9.50%
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 385,000,000		385,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	10.00%
New 1st Lien Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 250,000,000
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 0		6,303,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	9.00%
New Second Lien Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 150,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate at Period End	12.00%
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 92,832,000		$ 93,556,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	12.00%
Federal Funds Rate [Member] | Revolving Line Of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Margin	4.50%
30 Day LIBOR [Member] | Revolving Line Of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Margin	5.50%
30 Day LIBOR [Member] | Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base Interest Rate	0.50%
March 16, 2018 through March 15, 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed	104.80%
March 15, 2019 through March 14, 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed	102.40%
March 31, 2017 through March 31, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed	110.00%
March 31, 2018 through March 31, 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed	100.00%
After March 31, 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed	100.00%
Excess Cash Flow Sweep [Member] | 2nd Lien Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow		$ 724,000

Debt Schedule of Payments (Deta

Debt Schedule of Payments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018
Schedule Of Debt Payments [Line Items]
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	$ 724,000
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	477,832,000		$ 484,859,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt	7,027,000	$ 16,432,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Schedule Of Debt Payments [Line Items]
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	385,000,000		385,000,000
New 1st Lien Term Loan [Member]
Schedule Of Debt Payments [Line Items]
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	0		$ 6,303,000
Excess Cash Flow Sweep [Member] | 2nd Lien Agreement [Member]
Schedule Of Debt Payments [Line Items]
Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow		$ 724,000

Debt Schedule Of Financing Fees

Debt Schedule Of Financing Fees (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Mar. 30, 2014
Schedule Of Financing Fees [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net	$ (16,331,000)	$ (17,055,000)
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	$ 1,377,000
Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding	6,000,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	$ 16,331,000
Amortization Of Present Value Discount- Current Fiscal Year	2,863,000
Amortization Of Present Value Discount- Next Fiscal Year	3,958,000
Amortization Of Present Value Discount- Year 3	4,116,000
Amortization Of Present Value Discount- Year 4	4,286,000
Amortization Of Present Value Discount- Year 5	$ 1,108,000
Investment Warrants, Exercise Price	$ 4.19
Warrant liability fair value	$ 1,726,000	$ 1,807,000	$ 16,930,000
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	$ 724,000

Pension, Postretirement, and _3

Pension, Postretirement, and Postemployement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets, Contributions by Employer	650
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	$ 9	$ 12
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	1,641	1,438
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return (Loss) on Plan Assets	(2,018)	(1,983)
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gain (Loss)	284	506
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	(25)	(34)
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)	(109)	(61)
Other Postretirement Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost	103	90
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Return (Loss) on Plan Assets	(270)	(270)
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Gain (Loss)	(244)	(246)
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	(181)	(196)
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)	$ (592)	$ (622)

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 204,000	$ (20,345,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,513,000	(19,690,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Domestic	$ 15,232,000	$ 15,637,000
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent	29.60%	(125.90%)
Operating Loss Carryforwards			$ 63,048,000

Earnings per Common Share (Deta

Earnings per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Income (loss) attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated	$ 10,361	$ 35,003
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic [Abstract]
Weighted Average Common Shares	57,303,000	56,782,000
Less non-vested restricted Common Stock	(2,099,000)	(2,453,000)
Basic average common shares	55,204,000	54,329,000
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted [Abstract]
Weighted Average Number Diluted Shares Outstanding Adjustment	1,497,000	1,483,000
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	56,701,000	55,812,000
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 0.19	$ 0.64
Diluted	$ 0.18	$ 0.63
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	6,448,000	6,707,000

Stock Ownership Plans (Details)

Stock Ownership Plans (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	6,448,000	6,707,000
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Stock Options	$ 3,224,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	788,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 2.18
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	2,059,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	(24,000)
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 2.01
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	2,095,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 2.31
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 2.53
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	1 year 10 months 24 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	(728,000)
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Other Share Increase (Decrease) in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 1.53
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 3 months 18 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 3 months 18 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	1,100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period	(69,000)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	1,023,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number	1,023,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 1.88
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	2.32
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	1.86
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 1.86
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value	$ 443,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value	$ 443,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	(8,000)
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 1.48

Fair Value Measurements Fair Va

Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Mar. 30, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 477,832,000	$ 484,859,000
Warrant liability fair value	1,726,000	1,807,000	$ 16,930,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	390,293,750
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	385,000,000	385,000,000
New Second Lien Loan [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	92,832,000	$ 93,556,000
2nd Lien Agreement [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	$ 91,903,892

Fair Value Measurements Fair _2

Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Measurements Not Practicable (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Fair Value, Estimate Not Practicable, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, Estimate Not Practicable, Investments	$ 6,068,000
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	$ 477,832,000	$ 484,859,000

Revenue (Details)

Revenue (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 24, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Unearned revenue	$ 23,430,000		$ 23,895,000
Deferred Revenue, Revenue Recognized	15,727,000
Subscription	46,268,000	$ 48,269,000
Advertising and marketing services	75,962,000	84,661,000
Digital Services Revenue	4,677,000	3,661,000
Other Revenue	9,294,000	7,195,000
Other revenues, net	13,971,000	10,856,000
Revenues	$ 136,201,000	$ 143,786,000

Revenue Contract Assets (Detail

Revenue Contract Assets (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Contract with Customer, Asset, Gross	$ 1,106,000
Accounts Receivable, Gross, Current	55,139,000	$ 48,517,000
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable, Current	$ 5,208,000	$ 4,806,000