Exhibit 12.1 Brill Media Company, LLC Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges ($000s) Historical Pro Forma -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ Nine Months Nine Months Year Nine Months Ended Ended Ended Ended Year Ended February 28 or 29, November 30, November 30, February 28, November 30, 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) $(1,259) $ (2,938) $ (8,048) $(5,433) Fixed charges................. 4,523 4,682 5,882 7,200 7,514 5,631 6,594 12,633 9,495 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- $ 1,660 $ 5,634 $ 2,129 $ 2,014 $ 5,028 $ 4,372 $ 3,656 $ 4,585 $ 4,062 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- Fixed Charges Interest expense.............. $ 4,351 $ 4,466 $ 5,636 $ 6,633 $ 6,943 $ 5,150 $ 6,037 $11,996 $ 9,007 Portion of rent expense representative of interest.................... 39 37 40 70 82 66 75 82 75 Amortization of deferred financing costs............. 133 179 206 497 489 415 482 555 413 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- $ 4,523 $ 4,682 $ 5,882 $ 7,200 $ 7,514 $ 5,631 $ 6,594 $12,633 $ 9,495 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges................. -- 1.20 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------- -------