Knight Ridder's earnings down, revenue flat for 4th quarter.

Byline: Joseph N. DiStefano

PHILADELPHIA _ Under scrutiny as it negotiates with would-be buyers, Knight Ridder Inc. on Tuesday reported flat revenue and lower earnings for the fourth quarter.

Strong help wanted, real estate and discount chain store ads weren't quite enough to overcome declines in department store and car ads. Senior vice president Hilary Schneider and other executives told analysts in a conference call that they expect ad sales to rise this year, and that the drop in car ads was temporary.

Expenses were also nearly flat, as health care expenses were lower than the San Jose, Calif.-based newspaper chain had projected. The company, …