Ballantyne of Omaha Names Lee J. Seidler to Its Board of Directors.

Business Editors

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2000

Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. (NYSE: BTN), a leading manufacturer of motion picture projection and entertainment lighting equipment, today named Lee J. Seidler to its board of directors, effective immediately. The appointment increases the size of Ballantyne's board to five members.

Mr. Seidler brings over forty years of experience in corporate finance, financial analysis, accounting and taxation to Ballantyne. He was most recently a General Partner and Senior Managing Director of Bear Stearns & Co., where he worked extensively in corporate finance, including mergers and acquisitions, tax shelters and related activities, and in institutional research. In this role, he was elected to Institutional Investor's "All Star" first team for 14 consecutive years for his analysis of the impacts of changing accounting, financial reporting and tax rules on investors.

Dr. Seidler was also Professor of Accounting and Price Waterhouse Professor of Auditing at New York University's Graduate School of Business Administration for 20 years. He also taught at Columbia University and Robert College of Instanbul. He is the author or co-author of six books, and more than 100 articles and papers, on accounting and taxation. Dr. Seidler, a CPA, previously worked as an auditor with Price Waterhouse in New York and Paris. His work at Bear Stearns and in higher education have earned him appearances on national television and opportunities to serve on several occasions as an expert witness for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He has also served on the boards of several public companies including Synthetic Industries, Inc. , Players International, Inc. and SafeCard Services Inc.

John P. Wilmers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ballantyne, commented, "It's both an honor and privilege to welcome Dr. Seidler to our board of directors. His Wall Street experience and financial background will serve the Company and its shareholders well."

Ballantyne of Omaha is the leading U.S. supplier of commercial motion picture projection equipment utilized by major theater chains including AMC, Loews Cineplex and Regal Cinemas, and specialty projection equipment used by location-based entertainment providers such as The Walt Disney Co., Universal Studios and others. Ballantyne also manufactures, rents and leases specialty entertainment lighting products used at top arenas, television and motion picture production studios, theme parks and architectural sites around the world.

Except for the historical information in this press release, it includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results; customer demand for the Company's products; the development of new technology for alternate means of motion picture presentation; domestic and international economic conditions; the management of growth; and, other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from management expectations.