Universal Worldwide Television Completes Polygram

Domestic Television Integration UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (ots-PRNewswire) - Universal WorldwideTelevision has completed the integration of PolyGram domestictelevision, it was announced by president Ned Nalle. Universal Worldwide Television, the television development,financing and distribution unit of Universal Television &Networks Group (UT&NG), now assumes responsibility for thePolyGram shows Motown Live, Total Recall 2070 and Blind Date aswell as other programming, including development of a number ofMOWs and additional first-run strip programming. The combined business unit, Universal Worldwide Television,includes scripted development, reality development, businessaffairs and marketing. The finance and legal functions are nowcentralized into UT&NG's existing group service functions.Syndicated sales efforts are now dual reporting to UniversalWorldwide Television and to UT&NG's worldwide sales operations.Research will continue to report to syndicated sales. "The television marketplace will look different tomorrow thanit does today. Our plan is to be flexible and to anticipate thetastes of the market and identify the opportunities for success.Our team is focused on capitalizing on the changes in the medialandscape," said Mr. Nalle, who was responsible for overseeingUniversal's Action Pack, a profitable movies for televisionfranchise which spawned the highly successful first-runsyndication action hours "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys andXena: Warrior Princess." In addition to the new domestic television responsibilities,Universal Worldwide Television will continue to manage thesuccessful international talk shows "Vera am Mittag" (Germany)and "Catherine" (Netherlands), which are each number one in theirtime periods. In the last year, Universal launched two additionalinternational talk shows, "Lenferink!" (Netherlands), and"Trisha" (UK) which is currently number one in its time period. As a result of the restructuring, Deana Elwell, chiefoperating officer of PolyGram Television, has elected to pursueother endeavors outside the company. "I would like to recognizethe contributions Deana accomplished from the start of PolyGramtelevision all the way through this integration," said Mr. Nalle. Universal Worldwide Television is part of Universal Television& Networks Group which distributes: Universal's current andlibrary feature films throughout the world in all televisionmedia; Universal's television library in all television mediaoutside the United States; and USA Networks Inc.'s originalprogramming, including Studios USA's television product, outsidethe United States in all television media. It also producestelevision programming throughout the world; develops andacquires films for domestic and international production anddistribution. The Group also includes Universal Studios Networks, which iscomprised of USA Network Latin America, distributed in 18 LatinAmerican countries; USA Network Brazil, a joint venture withGlobosat; ScioFi, available in the United Kingdom and southernAfrica; 13th Street: The Action & Suspense Channel, whichlaunched in November 1997 in France and May 1998 in Germany; andStudio Universal, a movie channel launched in Italy in May 1998. Universal Television & Networks Group is a part of UniversalStudios (www.universalstudios.com), a unit of The Seagram CompanyLtd. (NYSE: VO), a global entertainment and beverage company. For further information please contact Karin Timpone, 818-777-1385, or Zenon Dmytryk, 818-777-8072, both of UniversalTelevision & Networks Group. ots Original Text Service:Universal Worldwide Television Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Karin Timpone, 818-777-1385,or Zenon Dmytryk, 818-777-8072, both of Universal Television &Networks Group Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com

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