56 At the end of 2001, Newsquest had approximately 8,500  full-time and part-time employees. Newsquest employees have local staff councils for consultation and communication with local Newsquest management. Newsquest provides the majority of its employees with the option to participate in a retirement plan that incorporates life insurance and a stock option linked savings plan. 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, informa- tion and communication businesses.  The table that follows summarizes the circulation volume and  revenues of U.S. newspapers owned by the company at the  end of 2001, including USA TODAY. The table also includes  circulation revenue for all Newsquest publications and circulation volume for Newsquest’s fifteen paid daily newspapers. This table assumes that all newspapers owned by the company at the end of 2001 were owned during all years shown.  For purposes of presenting pro forma information, the tables  and related commentary below include net paid circulation and  a pro rata portion of the revenue and linage data for the  company’s newspapers participating in joint operating agencies, consistent with prior years. Key revenue and expense data – for all newspapers combined Circulation Daily Sunday revenues net paid net paid in thousands circulation circulation 2001  $1,293,165 8,256,000 7,045,000 2000 $1,315,089 8,332,000 7,160,000 1999 $1,287,347 8,368,000 7,260,000 1998 $1,288,365 8,475,000 7,397,000 1997 $1,258,224 8,387,000 7,473,000 Circulation: newspapers owned on Dec. 30, 2001 Advertising: newspapers owned on Dec. 30, 2001 The following chart summarizes the advertising linage (in  six-column inches) and advertising revenues of the newspapers owned by the company at the end of 2001. For Newsquest, advertising revenues are reflected, but linage is not. The chart assumes that all of the newspapers owned at the end of 2001 were owned during all years shown.  Advertising Inches of revenues (ROP) advertising, in thousands excluding preprints 2001  $3,618,136 97,802,000 2000 $3,982,390 103,449,000 1999 $3,790,847 100,381,000 1998 $3,576,587 95,567,000 1997 $3,343,258 90,567,000