Exhibit 12.1 Brill Media Company, LLC Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges ($000s) Historical Pro Forma -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ Six Months Six Months Year Six Months Ended Ended Ended Ended Year Ended February 28 or 29, August 31, August 31, February 28, August 31, 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1996 1997 1997 1997 -------- ------ -------- -------- -------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- Earnings Income (loss) before income taxes and extraordinary item.......... $(2,863) $ 952 $(3,753) $(5,186) $(2,486) $ (403) $(1,464) $(8,048) $(3,471) Fixed charges..................... 4,523 4,682 5,882 7,200 7,514 3,729 4,032 12,633 6,327 ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- $ 1,660 $5,634 $2,129 $2,014 $ 5,028 $3,326 $ 2,568 $ 4,585 $ 2,856 ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Fixed Charges Interest expense.................. $ 4,351 $4,466 $ 5,636 $ 6,633 $ 6,943 $3,342 $ 3,698 $11,996 $ 6,001 Portion of rent expense representative of interest...... 39 37 40 70 82 43 51 82 51 Amortization of deferred financing costs................. 133 179 206 497 489 344 283 555 275 ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- $ 4,523 $4,682 $ 5,882 $ 7,200 $ 7,514 $3,729 $ 4,032 $12,633 $ 6,327 ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges.. -- 1.20 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------