Bankers Training & Consulting Company Leverages Internet to Deliver Proven Training Programs.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 1, 2000

Internet Gives Financial Institutions Online Access To

BTCC's Training Programming

PRIMEDIA's Bankers Training & Consulting Company (BTCC), the leading provider of training programs for financial institutions, is officially launching its Internet-Delivered Training Solution this week.

BTCC is maximizing the Internet to bring its award-winning training programs directly into the hands of on-line students.

Part of PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning (PWPL), a PRIMEDIA (NYSE:PRM) company, BTCC is setting the pace for the use of the Internet to deliver proven training programs to the financial industry.

BTCC's Internet solution provides fast, convenient training at the student's fingertips. Learning at their own pace, viewers can access courses at any time from any location, instead of being tied to a specific location or time. The solution maximizes the desktop Web browser to deliver BTCC's programming that is focused, compelling and developed by industry experts. BTCC's site features a fast-track option letting students select the depth of their training.

The Internet reduces traditional training costs by more than 45 percent, according to a recent study by IDC, a leading computer research firm. This study indicates that the Internet increases productivity, delivers consistent programming and supports continuous learning.

BTCC subscribers currently have access to more than 30 educational programs online. They can select from varied courses, including the Bank Secrecy Act, Regulation CC (check fraud prevention), The Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Savings Act, The Real Estate Settlement Procedures ACT (RESPA), Teller Operations and Disaster Recovery. BTCC is continually bringing more courses on-line from its comprehensive course catalog.

Brad Borden, Information Systems Officer with First State Bank in Union City, Tenn., said, "We have been desperately waiting for an Internet service like this that lets our 80 users obtain BTCC's courses at their convenience. By the end of the year our users will have access to 70 different programs."

The system's strong reporting functions let administrators document training for each student, including the courses they took, the time it was completed, courses finished and a training status report. Random comprehension tests give students a chance to increase their understanding and retention by giving immediate test feedback.

BTCC's subscription-based Internet solution includes extremely robust administrative and security features including password protection. Its administrative features include:

-- Messaging Center allowing administrators to inform students

about upcoming regulations and courses.

-- Prescheduled training.

-- Certificates of completion validate course completion and

provide scores.

BTCC President Jean Dunaway said, "BTCC is establishing a standard by delivering our proven educational expertise through the Internet. This innovation reinforces our commitment to providing students with the most current educational financial institution curriculum available."

BTCC is the leading provider of training specifically designed for financial institutions. BTCC offers training for the financial industry in varied formats, including Internet, Intranet, network, computer-based and video. Its comprehensive training solutions cover topics ranging from regulatory compliance and teller training to management development and customer service. For more information, call 800/264-7600 or log on to www.btcc.com.

PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning (PWPL), a PRIMEDIA (NYSE:PRM) company, is the leading provider of distance learning for more than 1.6 million viewers in the automotive, banking, fire, healthcare, industrial and law enforcement markets. PWPL is a PRIMEDIA (NYSE:PRM) company, a targeted media company with print, video and Internet businesses focused on consumer and business-to-business audiences. The Company owns and operates more than 300 Web sites and other Internet properties. For more details on PWPL, visit www.pwpl.com.