UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Spoon, Alan G.
The Washington Post Company
1150 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20071
USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
The Washington Post Company
WPO
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
December 1997
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
President & CEO
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Option (right to buy) |472.00 |12/11|J |V|15,000* |A |12/11|12/11|Class B Comm|15,000*| | | | |
| |/97 | | | | |/98 |/07 |on Stk | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (right to buy) |733.00 |12/11|J |V|35,000** |A |12/11|12/11|Class B Comm|35,000*| |118,000*** | | |
| |/97 | | | | |/97 |/07 |on Stk |* | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
* Employee Stock Option was granted on transaction date pursuant to The
Washington Post Company Stock Option
Plan. Option becomes exercisable in 25 percent increments on anniversary date
of the grant starting on December
11,
1998.
** Employee Stock Option was granted on transaction date pursuant to The
Washington Post Company Stock Option
Plan. The Option is exerisable
immediately.
*** Includes all outstanding option rights to buy previous
reported.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Alan G. Spoon by Diana Daniels
DATE
January 9, 1997
