Table of Contents

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

For the transition period from              to             

Commission file number 1-6961

GANNETT CO., INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (703) 854-6000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).     Yes  x    No  ¨

The aggregate market value of the voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant based on the closing sales price of the registrant’s Common Stock as reported on The New York Stock Exchange on June 25, 2004, was $22,717,076,274. The registrant has no non-voting common equity.

As of February 18, 2005, 252,198,649 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The definitive proxy statement relating to the registrant’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 14, 2005, is incorporated by reference in Part III to the extent described therein.

Table of Contents

This page is intentionally left blank.

2

Table of Contents

INDEX TO GANNETT CO., INC.

2004 FORM 10-K

3

Table of Contents

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Company Profile

Gannett Co., Inc. is a diversified news and information company that publishes newspapers, operates broadcasting stations, operates Web sites in connection with its newspaper and broadcast operations, and is engaged in marketing, commercial printing, a newswire service, data services and news programming. Gannett is an international company operating primarily in the U.S. and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Approximately 84% of its revenues are from domestic operations in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. It has foreign operations in the United Kingdom, Canada, and in certain European and Asian markets. Its headquarters are in McLean, Va., near Washington, D.C., and is home to approximately 600 corporate employees.

Gannett was founded by Frank E. Gannett and associates in 1906 and incorporated in 1923. The company went public in 1967. It reincorporated in Delaware in 1972. Its more than 254 million outstanding shares of common stock are held by approximately 12,400 shareholders of record in all 50 states and several foreign countries. The company has approximately 52,500 employees.

The company has two principal business segments: newspaper publishing and broadcasting (television). Financial information for each of the company’s reportable segments can be found in our financial statements, as discussed under Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on page 18, and as presented under Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” beginning on page 30 of this Form 10-K.

Gannett is the largest newspaper group in terms of circulation in the U.S. The company’s 101 U.S. daily newspapers have a combined daily paid circulation of approximately 7.6 million. They include USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper, with a circulation of approximately 2.3 million. In addition, Gannett owns USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine, and more than 750 non-daily publications in the United States.

Newsquest plc, a wholly owned Gannett subsidiary acquired in mid-1999 and expanded through further acquisitions since (including the publishing business of Scottish Media Group plc acquired in 2003), is the second largest regional newspaper publisher in the U.K. with a portfolio of more than 300 titles. Its publications include 17 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of approximately 703,000. Newsquest also publishes a variety of non-daily publications, including Berrow’s Worcester Journal, the oldest continuously published English-language newspaper in the world.

Total average daily circulation of the company’s domestic and U.K. daily newspapers was approximately 8.3 million at the end of 2004.

The newspaper segment also includes: Nursing Spectrum, publisher of biweekly periodicals specializing in advertising for nursing employment; Army Times Publishing Co., which publishes military and defense newspapers; Clipper Magazine, a direct mail advertising magazine that publishes more than 375 individual market editions in 26 states; a 19.49% interest in California Newspapers Partnership, a partnership that includes 22 daily California newspapers; a 66.2% interest in Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, a partnership that includes seven daily newspapers in Texas and New Mexico; and a 13.5% interest in Ponderay Newsprint Company in the state of Washington.

Certain of the company’s newspaper subsidiaries are participants in joint operating agencies. Each joint operating agency performs the production, sales and distribution functions for the subsidiary and another newspaper publishing company under a joint operating agreement. The company’s operating results in the Detroit and Tucson joint operating agencies are accounted for under the equity method, and are reported as a net amount in other operating revenues.

In addition to publishing, the newspaper segment includes the following: Gannett News Service, which provides news services for its newspaper operations; Gannett Retail Advertising Group, which represents the company’s local newspapers in the sale of advertising to national and regional franchise businesses; and Gannett Offset, which is composed of the Gannett Offset print group and Gannett Marketing Services Group. The Gannett Offset print group currently includes five non-heatset printing plants and one heatset printing facility. Gannett Offset’s dedicated commercial printing plants are located in Atlanta, Ga.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Miramar, Fla.; Norwood, Mass.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Springfield, Va. Gannett Marketing Services Group coordinates the sale of direct-marketing services through: Telematch, a database management and data enhancement company; and Gannett Direct Marketing Services, a direct-marketing company with operations in Louisville, Ky. The company also owns USATODAY.com and other Internet services at all of its local newspapers (domestic and U.K.) and television stations; and Gannett Media Technologies International, which develops and markets software and other products for the publishing industry.

The company also owns a one-third equity interest in CareerBuilder, LLC, an online service providing recruitment resources; a 21.9% ownership in Classified Ventures, an online business focused on the real estate and automotive advertising categories; and as of May 2004, a one-third equity interest in CrossMedia Services, Inc., a leading provider of Web-based marketing solutions for national and local retailers.

The broadcasting segment consists of 21 television stations covering 17.9 percent of the U.S. in markets with more than 19.6 million households and Captivate Network, Inc. acquired in April 2004. Captivate is a national news and entertainment network that delivers programming and full-motion video advertising through video screens located in elevators in office towers across North America.

Newspaper Publishing/United States

At the end of 2004, the company operated 101 U.S. daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, and more than 750 non-daily local publications in 40 states and Guam. The Newspaper Division is headquartered in McLean, Va., and on Dec. 26, 2004, it had approximately 39,600 full- and part-time employees.

USA TODAY was introduced in 1982 as the country’s first national, general-interest daily newspaper. It is available in all 50 states to readers on the day of publication throughout the U.S.

USA TODAY is produced at facilities in McLean, Va., and is transmitted via satellite to offset printing plants around the country and internationally. It is printed at Gannett plants in 21 U.S. markets and at offset plants, not owned by Gannett, in 15 other U.S. markets. It is sold at newsstands and vending machines generally at 75 cents per copy. Mail subscriptions are available nationwide and abroad, and home, hotel and office delivery is offered in many markets. Approximately 65% of its net paid circulation results from single-copy sales at newsstands, vending machines or to hotel guests, and the remainder is from home and office delivery, mail, educational and other sales.

4

Table of Contents

USA TODAY International is printed from satellite transmission under contract in London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Belgium, and is distributed in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is available in more than 50 foreign countries.

For domestic editions, USA TODAY is party to a contract with one satellite transmission service which runs through April 2007 and provides for the satellite transmissions of USA TODAY from the McLean, Va., office (or Silver Spring, Md., its back-up facility) to 36 domestic print sites across the U.S.

For international editions, USA TODAY is party to a contract with a second satellite transmission provider which extends indefinitely (but is cancelable by either party with 60 days’ notice) and provides for satellite transmissions to three contract print sites in Europe and one contract print site in Asia.

The company has adequate back-up for these transmission processes.

USATODAY.com, one of the most popular newspaper sites on the Web, had more than 48 million visits per month at the end of 2004.

Gannett News Service (GNS) is headquartered in McLean, Va., and operates bureaus in Washington, D.C., Newark, N.J., and five state capitals (see page 12 for more information). GNS provides national and regional news coverage and sports, features, photo and graphic services to Gannett newspapers. GNS is also syndicated to several non-Gannett newspapers.

The newspaper publishing segment also includes USA WEEKEND, the second-largest weekly magazine in circulation in the nation. As of January 2005, USA WEEKEND is distributed in 604 newspapers throughout the country, with a total circulation of approximately 22.7 million.

Nursing Spectrum is a communications company that promotes the recognition and support of the nursing community by providing timely, relevant and compelling information through its award-winning magazines, annual career guides and Web sites. On Feb. 2, 2004, the company acquired NurseWeek, an industry leader with print publications and an award-winning Web site focused on the nursing industry. Altogether, Nursing Spectrum publishes 12 regional magazines and has a combined circulation of more than one million registered nurses in the top 50 metropolitan markets each month, or almost half of the registered nurses in the U.S.

At the end of 2004, 75 of the company’s domestic daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, were published in the morning and 26 were published in the evening.

For local U.S. newspapers, excluding USA TODAY, morning circulation accounts for approximately 88% of total daily volume, while evening circulation accounts for 12%.

Individually, Gannett newspapers are the leading news and information source with strong brand recognition in their markets. Their strength lies in the quality of their management, their flexibility, their focus on customer-driven programs, their ability to cross-brand the daily newspaper, online and weekly products, their continuous focus on customer service and quality, and their capacity to invest in new technology. Collectively, Gannett newspapers form a powerful network to distribute and share news and information across the nation.

In 2004, news departments across Gannett continued to emphasize coverage of local news as the key to successful news reporting and circulation growth. Newsrooms expanded the amount of local news and information on their Web sites. In 2003, in an effort to reach more readers, the Gannett Newspaper Division worked with its community newspapers to launch Gannett’s program called “Real Life, Real News: Connecting with Readers’ Lives.” Throughout 2003 and 2004, Gannett’s newspapers implemented aspects of that program for both print and online content. “Real Life, Real News” focuses on making the news more relevant to readers and capturing “Moments of Life” that are important to the lives of readers. For example, Gannett continued to emphasize reaching young readers, especially those in the 25-34 year-old age group. In 2004, free young-reader weekly publications began in Wilmington, Del., Greenville, S.C., Rochester, N.Y., and Nashville, Tenn. The company now has publications designed to attract younger readers in nine markets. Companion Web sites to these publications also extend the content reach.

Another example of the company’s focus on news that is relevant to the lives of its readers was the extensive coverage provided by the company’s three Florida newspapers of the four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004. This outstanding print coverage prompted millions of page views of the newspapers’ Web sites in Pensacola, Fort Myers and Brevard County.

In addition to quality local news gathering, all of the company’s domestic daily newspapers receive Gannett News Service and subscribe to The Associated Press, and some receive various supplemental news services and syndicated features.

Gannett News Service provides strong coverage of topics of high interest to individual newspapers through its regional report, and it added emphasis on topics relating to “Real Life, Real News.” On the national scene, it provided political coverage of the Republican and Democratic Party conventions and the presidential race and election. It also delivered focused coverage of the Olympics, providing stories on athletes from Gannett communities who were competing.

The company’s efforts in 2004 to grow advertising revenue had several key elements. The company continued to emphasize increasing its revenue from medium-sized and smaller advertisers, and has been successful doing so. Initiatives have focused on sales and rate management and the construction of pre-packaged programs scalable to the company’s largest and smallest markets which are attractive to advertisers of all sizes. Rate management programs focused on selling multiple advertising insertions and establishing rate structures to ensure they match the opportunities in the market. Sales management initiatives have increased the number and quality of sales calls, improved sales compensation and enhanced sales training. The company operates an Intranet site to provide its key advertising staff at all of its local newspapers with up-to-date sales and marketing tools and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Local market analysis of revenue potential is updated regularly and ad sales plans are modified accordingly. The company continues its training efforts to make its personnel competitive and effective in their leadership, strategic thinking and marketing skills.

The company’s focus on growth of non-daily and online products also continued in 2004. During the year, there were approximately 150 non-daily products launched or acquired. The company has more than 750 non-daily publications in the U.S. The company’s strategy around non-daily publications is to target these products at “communities of interest” defined in one of three ways: geographically, demographically (e.g. seniors, young readers or ethnic communities) or by lifestyle (e.g. golf or boating

5

Table of Contents

enthusiasts). Revenues from non-daily products that operate in association with our local newspapers increased 27% in 2004. More new non-daily products are planned for 2005.

Three principles guide the online strategy at Gannett’s newspapers. First, spending for the online business must be justified by additional revenues, additional customers and additional profits. Second, emphasis needs to be on serving our local markets. A key reason customers turn to a Gannett newspaper’s online site is to find local news and information. The credibility of the local newspaper, the known and trusted information source, extends to the company’s Web sites and thus differentiates Gannett from other Internet sites. This is a major factor that allows Gannett newspapers to compete successfully as Internet information providers. Third, the natural synergies between the local newspaper and local Web site should be emphasized. The local content already available, the customer relationships, the news and advertising sales forces, and the promotional vehicle are all advantages for the newspaper. The company’s strategy is to use these advantages to create strong and timely content, sell packaged advertising products that meet the demands of its advertisers, operate efficiently, and leverage the known and trusted brand of the newspaper.

This strategy has served Gannett well in the development of our newspaper Internet efforts. The aggressive local focus, including advertising sales efforts, combined with the effective use of national economies of scale and standardized technology, resulted in solid results in 2004. The growth in online revenues also reflects the value of our partnerships with national online advertising providers including CareerBuilder and Classified Ventures. Online revenue for local newspaper Web sites increased by 60% in 2004, which followed a 45% increase in 2003 and a 25% increase in 2002. Recent traffic on our sites, excluding USATODAY.com, totaled more than 61 million visits and more than 350 million page views per month.

The company also continued to deploy its Advertising Matrix sales program, now installed at 30 Gannett newspapers. The Matrix is a program for selling multiple ads across multiple product lines and packaging them into one buy for its advertisers. A typical Matrix package might include a retail display ad, a classified help wanted ad, a print-and-deliver insert targeted to specific zones, an online directory listing and an online coupon. The Bundle Wizard, which performs some of the functions of the Matrix on a more limited scale, is available to markets not using the Matrix. These sales programs will be installed at more of the company’s newspapers in 2005.

The company also continued to enhance and implement proprietary customer contact and relationship management software in some of its markets. The system is used to reach potential employment advertisers, retailers and real estate agents.

During 2004, Gannett expanded its use of online classified ad order entry software, doubling its installations from 13 to 26 locations. The software allows customers to place their classified ad via the newspaper’s Web site. It permits customers to build both their print and online ad using templates provided by the newspaper or to customize the ad to meet their specific requirements. It also facilitates upsell opportunities such as bolding, attention-getters, photos and e-mail hyperlinks. When customers complete the design of their ads and select a product schedule, they receive a real-time price quote. Customers can then book their ads without further involvement by company personnel. Gannett will continue to expand this program to additional newspapers in 2005.

In 2004, Gannett continued to implement the latest release of its advertising software at newspaper locations. The latest release contains a new pricing engine that permits the packaging and selling of multiple products across multiple mediums and that supports advertising initiatives such as the Matrix sales program. By the end of 2005, all Gannett newspapers running the software will have the latest release.

The Newspaper Division’s advertising quality initiative, known as ADQ, produced its 10th consecutive year of improved ad and bill quality. ADQ efforts focus on accuracy and customer service in ad placement and billing functions. ADQ has significantly reduced errors and make-good costs.

Advancements were also made in circulation information and management systems. A total of 92 newspapers now offer their subscribers seamless online services on their Web sites to start new subscriptions, make payments, schedule vacation stops and restarts or to make delivery complaints.

In addition, all newspapers offer the EZ-Pay system to subscribers so they can have payments automatically charged to their credit card or deducted from their checking account. Use of the EZ-Pay system reduces billing and customer account administration costs and facilitates customer retention. By the end of 2004, 17% of all subscribers were using EZ-Pay, as compared to 12% of all subscribers at year end 2003.

Gannett Media Technologies International (GMTI) provides important technological support and products for the company’s domestic newspapers, including ad software and database management, editorial production and archiving, and Web site hosting. In addition, GMTI provides similar services to other newspaper companies.

With respect to newspaper production, 70 domestic daily newspaper plants print by the offset process, and nine newspaper plants print using various letterpress processes.

In recent years, improved technology has resulted in greater speed and accuracy and in a reduction in the number of production hours worked for all of the company’s newspapers. The company expects this trend to continue in 2005.

The company continues to evaluate press capacity in markets where there is increasing demand for color advertising. Color towers were added at several of the company’s newspapers in 2004 and more investment in color capacity is expected in 2005. New state-of-the-art presses came on line in 2004 in Louisville, Ky., Honolulu and Oxford, England.

Newspaper revenues: The principal sources of newspaper revenues are circulation and advertising.

Circulation: Detailed information about the circulation of the company’s newspapers may be found on pages 10-11, 13 and 22-23 of this Form 10-K. Seventeen of the company’s local newspapers reported gains in daily circulation in 2004, and 10 increased Sunday circulation. Circulation volume declines in other markets were experienced which were generally consistent with the domestic newspaper industry as a whole.

Home-delivery prices for the company’s newspapers are established individually for each newspaper and range from $1.62 to $3.11 per week for daily newspapers and from $0.71 to $2.75 per copy for Sunday newspapers. Price increases for certain elements of local circulation were initiated at three newspapers in 2004. The National Do Not Call Registry had a profound impact on the way newspapers sell home-delivery circulation, particularly for the

6

Table of Contents

larger newspapers which historically have relied heavily on telemarketing. During 2004, total telemarketing orders were down by 33%. The company has turned to other methods to replace these telemarketing orders such as direct mail, sales crews and kiosk sales, however the result is a higher cost per order using these methods. The company is also focused on the retention of current customers to help offset the reduction of new starts from telemarketing orders.

Advertising: The newspapers have advertising departments that sell retail, classified and national advertising. The Gannett Retail Advertising Group also sells advertising on behalf of the company’s local newspapers to national and regional franchise businesses. The company also contracts with outside representative firms that specialize in the sale of national advertising. Analyses of newspaper advertising revenues are presented on pages 21-23 of this Form 10-K.

Retail advertising is display advertising associated with local merchants, such as department and grocery stores. Classified advertising includes ads listed together in sequence by the nature of the ads, such as automobile sales, real estate sales and help wanted. National advertising is display advertising principally from advertisers who are promoting products or brand names nationally. Retail and national advertising may appear in the newspaper itself or in preprinted sections. Ad revenues from newspaper Internet operations are reported along with revenue from publishing. Generally there are different rates for each category of advertising, and the rates for each newspaper are set independently, varying from city to city.

The newspapers have made continuing efforts to serve their readers and advertisers by introducing complete market coverage programs and by targeting specific market segments desired by many advertisers through the use of specially zoned editions and other specialty publications.

Continuing and comprehensive efforts are also underway to leverage Web site and newspaper marketing and advertising sales opportunities.

Competition: The company’s newspapers compete with other media for advertising principally on the basis of their advertising rates and their performance in helping to sell the advertisers’ products or services. They compete for circulation principally on the basis of their content and price. While most of the company’s newspapers do not have daily newspaper competitors that are published in the same city, in certain of the company’s larger markets, there is such direct competition. Most of the company’s newspapers compete with other newspapers published in nearby cities and towns and with free-distribution and paid-advertising weeklies, as well as other print and non-print media.

The rate of development of opportunities in, and competition from, emerging electronic communications services, including those related to the Internet, is increasing. Through internal development programs, acquisitions and partnerships, the company’s efforts to explore new opportunities in news, information and communications businesses have expanded and will continue to do so.

At the end of 2004, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Detroit News and the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen were published under joint operating agreements with non-Gannett newspapers located in the same cities. All of these agreements provide for joint business, advertising, production and circulation operations and a contractual division of profits. The editorial and reporting staffs of the company’s newspapers, however, are separate and autonomous from those of the non-Gannett newspapers. In January 2004, the company provided notice to The E.W. Scripps Company, as required under the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) involving The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post and The Kentucky Post, that the JOA would not be renewed when it expires on Dec. 31, 2007.

Environmental regulation: Gannett is committed to protecting the environment. The company’s goal is to ensure its facilities comply with federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and to incorporate appropriate environmental practices and standards in its operations. The company retains a corporate environmental consultant who is responsible for overseeing regulatory compliance and taking preventive measures where appropriate.

The company is one of the industry leaders in the use of recycled newsprint and increased its purchases of newsprint containing some recycled content from 42,000 metric tons in 1989 to 775,000 metric tons in 2004. During 2004, all of the company’s newspapers consumed some recycled newsprint. For the year, nearly 74% of the company’s newsprint purchases contained recycled content.

The company’s newspapers use inks, photographic chemicals, solvents and fuels. The use, management, and disposal of these substances may be regulated by federal, state, local and foreign agencies. Some of the company’s newspaper subsidiaries have been included among the potentially responsible parties in connection with the alleged disposal of ink or other wastes at disposal sites that have been subsequently identified as requiring remediation. Additional information about these matters can be found on page 15 of this Form 10-K. The company does not believe that these matters will have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.

Raw materials: Newsprint, which is the basic raw material used to publish newspapers, has been and may continue to be subject to significant price changes from time to time. During 2004, the company’s total newsprint consumption was 1,283,000 metric tons, including the company’s portion of newsprint consumed at joint operating agencies, consumption by USA WEEKEND, USA TODAY tonnage consumed at non-Gannett print sites and consumption by Newsquest. Newsprint consumption was slightly higher than in 2003, up approximately 13,000 metric tons or 1%, primarily due to increased circulation at USA TODAY and increased advertising demand in the U.K. The company purchases newsprint from 23 domestic and global suppliers under contracts that expire at various times through 2025.

In 2004, newsprint supplies were adequate. The company believes that the available sources of newsprint, together with present inventories, will continue to be adequate to supply the needs of its newspapers.

The average cost per ton of newsprint consumed in 2004 increased 11% compared to the 2003 average cost. The average cost per ton of newsprint is expected to increase further in 2005.

7

Table of Contents

Newspaper Publishing/United Kingdom

In the second quarter of 2003, the company purchased the publishing business of Scottish Media Group plc (SMG), consisting of three Scottish regional newspapers; 11 specialty consumer and business-to-business magazine titles; and an online advertising and content business. Including the former SMG titles, Newsquest publishes more than 300 titles in the United Kingdom, including 17 daily newspapers.

Newsquest operates its newspaper publishing activities around geographic clusters to maximize the use of management, finance, printing and personnel resources. This approach enables the group to offer readers and advertisers a range of attractive products across the market. The clustering of titles and, usually, the publication of a free newspaper alongside a paid-for newspaper, allows cross-selling of advertising among newspapers serving the same or contiguous markets, thus satisfying the needs of its advertisers and audiences. At the end of 2004, Newsquest had 17 such clusters in the United Kingdom. Newsquest’s policy is to produce free and paid-for newspapers with an attractive level of quality local editorial content. Newsquest also distributes a substantial volume of advertising leaflets in the communities it serves and it offers a travel/vacation booking service.

At the end of 2004, Newsquest had approximately 9,200 full-time and part-time employees. Newsquest’s revenues for 2004 were approximately $1.2 billion. As with U.S. newspapers, advertising is the largest component of revenue, comprising approximately 79%. Circulation revenue represents 12% of revenues and printing activities account for much of the remainder.

Newsquest actively seeks to maximize the value of its local information expertise through development of opportunities offered by the Internet. Through internal growth and in partnership with other businesses, Newsquest has established a number of local and national Web sites that offer news and other information of special interest to its communities, as well as classified and retail advertising and shopping services.

Newsquest newspapers operate in competitive markets. Their principal competitors include other regional and national newspaper and magazine publishers, other advertising media such as radio and billboard, and Internet-based news, information and communication businesses.

Newsquest’s ability to offer additional color to readers and advertisers was enhanced by new press equipment in Oxford, which went into operation in 2004, along with the addition of color capacity in Worcester and Colchester.

New product launches in 2004 include an additional edition of the News Shopper series – the Gravesend News Shopper, an additional edition of the North London Guardian – the Stratford Guardian in East London and Engaged Investor, an entirely new product launched to complement Newsquest’s existing financial magazine portfolio.

Product quality was recognized by awards. The Sunday Herald won the Scottish Newspaper of the Year and Best Sunday Newspaper, while The Herald won Best Daily Newspaper in the 2004 Scottish Newspaper of the Year awards. In England and Wales, The Oxford Times won the Regional Weekly Newspaper of the Year award.

Product development in the year also included the conversion of two broadsheet titles, The Evening Press (York) and The Watford Observer, into a tabloid format.

Broadcasting

At the end of 2004, the company’s broadcasting division, headquartered in McLean, Va., included 21 television stations in markets with a total of more than 19.6 million households and Captivate Network, Inc., which was acquired in April 2004.

At the end of 2004, the broadcasting division had approximately 3,100 full-time and part-time employees. Broadcasting revenues accounted for approximately 11% of the company’s reported operating revenues in 2004 and 2003, and 12% in 2002.

The principal sources of the company’s television revenues are: 1) local advertising focusing on the immediate geographic area of the stations; 2) national advertising; 3) compensation paid by the networks for carrying commercial network programs; 4) advertising on the stations’ Web sites; and 5) payments by advertisers to television stations for other services, such as the production of advertising material. The advertising revenues derived from a station’s local news programs make up a significant part of its total revenues. Captivate derives its revenue principally from national advertising on video screens in elevators of office buildings.

Advertising rates charged by a television station are based on the ability of a station to deliver a specific audience to an advertiser. The larger a station’s ratings in any particular daypart, the more leverage a station has in asking for a price advantage. As the market fluctuates with supply and demand, so does the station’s rate card. Practically all national advertising is placed through independent advertising representatives. Local advertising time is sold by each station’s own sales force.

Generally, a network provides programs to its affiliated television stations, sells commercial advertising announcements within the network programs and compensates the local stations by paying an amount based on the television station’s network-affiliation agreement.

For all of its stations, the company is party to network-affiliation agreements. The company’s three ABC affiliates have agreements which expire in 2014. The agreements for the company’s CBS affiliates in Columbia, S.C., and Tampa, Fla., expire in August 2005 and agreements for the remaining four CBS affiliates expire in December 2005. The company’s 12 NBC-affiliated stations have agreements that will expire in December 2005. The company expects that all of the affiliation agreements will be renewed upon their expiration.

Programming: The costs of locally produced and purchased syndicated programming are a significant portion of television operating expenses. Syndicated programming costs are determined based upon largely uncontrollable market factors, including demand from the independent and affiliated stations within the market. In recent years, the company’s television stations have emphasized their locally produced news and entertainment programming in an effort to provide programs that distinguish the stations from the competition and to better control costs.

Competition: In each of its broadcasting markets, the company’s stations compete for revenues with other network-affiliated and independent television and radio broadcasters and with other advertising media, such as cable television, newspapers, magazines and outdoor advertising. The stations also compete in the emerging local electronic media space, which includes Internet or Internet-enabled devices and any digital spectrum opportunities associated with digital television (DTV). The company’s broadcasting stations compete principally on the basis of their market share, advertising rates and audience composition.

8

Table of Contents

Local news is most important to a station’s success, and there is a growing emphasis on other forms of programming that relate to the local community. Network and syndicated programming constitute the majority of all other programming broadcast on the company’s television stations, and the company’s competitive position is directly affected by viewer acceptance of this programming. Other sources of present and potential competition for the company’s broadcasting properties include pay cable, home video and audio recorders and video disc players, direct broadcast satellite and low-power television. Some of these competing services have the potential of providing improved signal reception or increased home entertainment selection, and they are continuing development and expansion.

Pursuant to the Satellite Home Viewer Extension Reauthorization Act of 2004, a number of the company’s television stations are currently being delivered by satellite carriers to subscribers within the stations’ local markets. The company has entered into retransmission consent agreements with satellite carriers that authorize such delivery, one of which expires in 2009 and another that expires in mid-2005. The company anticipates the latter agreement will be renewed when it expires. This law also permits satellite carriers to retransmit distant network television stations into areas served by local television stations if it is determined, using FCC-approved signal strength measurement standards, that local stations do not deliver an acceptable viewing signal.

Regulation: The company’s television stations are operated under the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act), and the rules and policies of the FCC (FCC Regulations).

Television broadcast licenses are granted for periods of eight years. They are renewable by broadcasters upon application to the FCC and usually are renewed except in rare cases in which a conflicting application, a petition to deny, a complaint or an adverse finding as to the licensee’s qualifications results in loss of the license. The company believes it is in substantial compliance with all applicable provisions of the Communications Act and FCC Regulations. At the end of 2004, all of the company’s stations have converted to digital television operations in accordance with applicable FCC regulations. Eight of the company’s stations filed for license renewals in 2004 and another seven will do so in 2005. As of Feb. 15, 2005, three of the eight applications filed in 2004 were granted and the company expects the remaining five, as well as all future renewal applications, to be granted in the ordinary course.

FCC Regulations also prohibit concentrations of broadcasting control and regulate network programming. FCC Regulations governing multiple ownership limit, or in some cases, prohibit the common ownership or control of most communications media serving common market areas (for example, television and radio; television and daily newspapers; or radio and daily newspapers). FCC rules permit common ownership of two television stations in the same market in certain circumstances provided that at least one of the commonly owned stations is not among the market’s top four rated stations at the time of acquisition. It is under this standard that the company acquired a second television station in Jacksonville, Fla.

In 2003, the FCC substantially changed its ownership rules to allow greater media ownership opportunities, including 1) permitting common ownership of different properties in the same market (depending on market size) but retaining limitations in markets of three or fewer television stations where cross-ownership is prohibited; 2) permitting ownership of a number of television stations in a market (depending on market size); and 3) increasing the national TV ownership cap, covering the number of U.S. TV households one company is permitted to serve from 35% to 45%. In January, 2004, Congress passed legislation setting the national ownership cap figure at 39%. Presently the company’s 21 television stations reach an aggregate of 17.9% of U.S. TV households.

In 2004, a federal appeals court found that the FCC had not adequately justified some of the rule changes and remanded the matter back to the FCC. In February 2005, the company in a joint filing with the Newspaper Association of America, sought review of the decision in the U.S. Supreme Court. Several other media companies filed similar requests for review. While this appeal is pending, the FCC’s pre-2003 ownership rules remain in effect. The company is unable to predict the outcome of these proceedings. However, if the Supreme Court overturns the 2004 appeals court ruling and the 2003 FCC rules are upheld, it could present opportunities for the company to acquire additional properties in markets it currently serves.

Under current FCC rules, the company has a waiver which permits it to own a newspaper-television combination in Phoenix, Ariz. Unless the cross-ownership rules are amended or the waiver is extended, it will expire on Oct. 1, 2006.

Employee relations

At the end of 2004, the company and its subsidiaries had approximately 52,500 full-time and part-time employees. Three of the company’s newspapers were published in 2004 together with non-company newspapers pursuant to joint operating agreements, and the employment total above includes the company’s pro-rata share of employees at those joint production and business operations.

Approximately 13% of those employed by the company and its subsidiaries are represented by labor unions. They are represented by 94 local bargaining units, most of which are affiliated with one of seven international unions under collective bargaining agreements. These agreements conform generally with the pattern of labor agreements in the newspaper and broadcasting industries. The company does not engage in industrywide or companywide bargaining. The company’s U.K. subsidiaries bargain with three unions over working practices, wages and health and safety issues only.

The company provides competitive group life and medical insurance programs for full-time domestic employees at each location. The company pays a substantial portion of these costs and employees contribute the balance. Nearly all of the company’s units provide retirement or profit-sharing plans which cover all eligible part-time and full-time employees.

In 1990, the company established a 401(k) Savings Plan, which is available to most of its domestic employees and a small number of unionized employees.

Newsquest employees have local staff councils for consultation and communication with local Newsquest management. Newsquest provides the majority of its employees with 1) the option to participate in a stock option-linked savings plan; 2) the option to purchase Gannett shares through a share incentive plan; and 3) a retirement plan that incorporates life insurance.

The company strives to maintain good relationships with its employees.

9

Table of Contents

MARKETS WE SERVE

NEWSPAPERS AND NEWSPAPER DIVISION

Daily newspapers

Non-daily publications: see listing of U.S. non-daily locations on page 12.

10

Table of Contents

Daily newspapers

11

Table of Contents

NEWSPAPERS AND NEWSPAPER DIVISION (continued)

Army Times Publishing Co.

Headquarters: Springfield, Va.

Advertising offices: Chicago, Ill.; Detroit, Mich.; Los Angeles, Calif.; New York, N.Y.

Publications: Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, Air Force Times, Federal Times, Defense News, Armed Forces Journal, C4ISR Journal, Training and Simulation Journal

Clipper Magazine, Inc.

Headquarters: Mountville, Pa.

Nursing Spectrum (including NurseWeek acquired in 2004)

Offices: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (serving Texas and Louisiana); Falls Church, Va. (serving Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md.); Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (serving Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa); Hoffman Estates, Ill. (serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio); King of Prussia, Pa. (serving Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley); Lexington, Mass. (serving New England states); San Jose, Calif. (serving California and the Western States); Westbury, N.Y. (serving New York and New Jersey)

Non-daily publications

Weekly, semi-weekly, monthly or bimonthly publications in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Juarez, Mexico

USA WEEKEND

Headquarters: McLean, Va.

Advertising offices: Chicago, Ill.; Detroit, Mich.; Los Angeles, Calif.; New York, N.Y.

Gannett Media Technologies International: Cincinnati, Ohio; Norfolk, Va.; Tempe, Ariz.

Gannett Offset

Headquarters: Springfield, Va.

Offset sites: Atlanta, Ga.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Miramar, Fla.; Norwood, Mass.; St. Louis, Mo.; Springfield, Va.

Gannett Offset Marketing Services Group

Gannett Direct Marketing Services, Inc.: Louisville, Ky.

Telematch: Springfield, Va.

Gannett Retail Advertising Group: Chicago, Ill.

Gannett Satellite Information Network: McLean, Va.

Gannett News Service

Headquarters: McLean, Va.

Bureau: Washington, D.C.

State bureaus: Albany, N.Y.; Baton Rouge, La.; Newark, N.J.; Sacramento, Calif.; Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.

USA TODAY

Headquarters and editorial offices: McLean, Va.

Print sites: Arlington, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; Batavia, N.Y.; Brevard County, Fla.; Chandler, Ariz.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbia, S.C.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Kankakee, Ill.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Lansing, Mich.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Lawrence, Kan.; Mansfield, Ohio; Marin County, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Miramar, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; Newark, Ohio; Norwood, Mass.; Olympia, Wash.; Pasadena, Texas; Port Huron, Mich.; Raleigh, N.C.; Richmond, Ind.; Rockaway, N.J.; St. Louis, Mo.; Salisbury, N.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Bernardino, Calif.; Springfield, Va.; Warrendale, Pa.; White Plains, N.Y.; Wilmington, Del.

International print sites: Frankfurt, Germany; Gosselies, Belgium; Hong Kong; London, England

National offices: Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Detroit, Mich.; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Nashville, Tenn.; New York, N.Y.; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Phoenix, Ariz.; San Francisco, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; St. Louis, Mo.; Washington, D.C.

International offices: Hong Kong; London, England; Singapore

Advertising offices: McLean, Va.; Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Mich.; London, England; Los Angeles, Calif.; New York, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.

USA TODAY SPORTS WEEKLY

Editorial offices: McLean, Va.

Advertising offices: Chicago, Ill.; McLean, Va.; New York, N.Y.

USATODAY.com

Headquarters and editorial offices: McLean, Va.

Advertising offices: Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Mich.; Los Angeles, Calif.; McLean, Va.; New York, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.

12

Table of Contents

Daily newspapers/Newsquest PLC

Non-daily publications: Essex, London, Midlands, North East, North West, South Coast, South East, South and East Wales, South West, Yorkshire

BROADCASTING

Television stations

Captivate Network, Inc.

Headquarters: Westford, Mass.

Advertising offices: Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif.; New York, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.; Toronto, Ontario; Washington, D.C.

13

Table of Contents

GANNETT ON THE NET

News and information about Gannett is available on our Web site, www.gannett.com. In addition to news and other information about our company, we provide access through this site to our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we file or furnish them electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We also provide access on this Web site to our Principles of Corporate Governance, the charters of our Audit, Executive Compensation and Nominating and Public Responsibility Committees and other important governance documents and policies, including our Ethics and Inside Trading Policies. Copies of all of these corporate governance documents are available to any shareholder upon written request made to our Secretary at our headquarters address. In addition, we will disclose on this Web site changes to, or waivers of, our corporate Ethics Policy.

Gannett properties also offer online services or informational sites on the Internet as follows, alphabetical by market:

In addition to the Internet sites listed above for wholly owned subsidiaries, the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, in which Gannett has a 66.2% ownership interest, provides online services or information at www.alamogordonews.com, www.currentargus.com, www.demingheadlight.com, www.elpasotimes.com, www.daily-times.com, www.lcsun-news.com and www.scsun-news.com.

14

Table of Contents

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES