Betacam SX Format Takes Fox O&Os by Storm; FOX Majority Votes for SX Format.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 1999--

Sony Electronics Inc. has announced that 16 of 22 FOX-owned and operated broadcast stations have purchased Sony Betacam SX(R) equipment for news gathering.

To date, Sony sales to FOX stations have included more than 300 units.

"FOX television stations have established themselves as a first-tier broadcast group, partly on the excitement generated by their embrace of advanced video technologies," said Anthony Gargano, senior vice president of communication systems for Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company. "Working with these stations across the country, Sony is helping local news programmers further elevate the high standard of the FOX brand."

Three stations -- KSTU in Salt Lake City; WTVT in Tampa, Fla.; and WBRC in Birmingham, Ala. -- have purchased complete Betacam SX systems, replacing each station's Betacam SP(R) products.

KSTU-TV

"Sony's Betacam SX format gives us the flexibility to gradually transition our news operation to digital without the downtime normally associated with new equipment," said Al Schultz, vice president of engineering for KSTU-TV. "We are also extremely pleased with the image quality of the DNW-9WS camcorders. Our ENG crews can immediately take advantage of both superior camera capture and digital acquisition."

The KTSU purchase is comprised of 12 DNW-9WS camcorders; 23 DNW-A75 recording VTRs; nine DNW-A100 hybrid recorders; eight DNW-A30 players; five DNW-A22 players; four DNV-5 dockable VTRs; three DNW-A225 portable field editors; two DFS-500 integrated DME/production switchers; a DNE-700 nonlinear editor; and DEP-100 digital effects processor.

WBRC-TV

Because the Betacam SX format is compatible with WBRC-TV's analog Betacam SP equipment, the decision was easy for the station.

"The changeover from the Betacam SP format to the SX format went smoothly," said Jerry Thorn, vice president of engineering for FOX6 WBRC-TV. "The image quality of a DNW-9WS camera from a live shot is fantastic. The DNE-700 editors with a DEP-100 digital effects unit made a significant improvement in our news on-air product."

WBRC-TV's purchase includes three DNW-7 camcorders; eight DNW-9WS camcorders; 11 DNW-A45 hybrid recorders; seven DNE-700 nonlinear editors; four DEP-100 digital effects units; and five DNW-A220 portable editors.

WTVT-TV

"Our ENG crews have been extremely happy with the portability and overall image quality of the Betacam SX camcorders," said Cary Williams, director of engineering for WTVT-TV. "The camcorders, with their especially good low-light capabilities, coupled with the DNW-A220 field editor creates a go-anywhere edit suite designed for the rigors of field use."

WTVT-TV's purchase includes eight DNW-9WS 16:9/4:3 switchable camcorders, five DNW-A220 portable field editors, five DNW-A45 hybrid recorders, two DNE-700 non-linear editors and a DNW-A22 player.

Eight additional stations -- WNYW, New York; WFLD, Chicago; WJBK, Detroit; WJW, Cleveland; KSAZ, Phoenix; KTBC, Austin; WDAF, Kansas City; and WHBQ, Memphis -- have already begun a transition to digital by integrating Betacam SX equipment into their existing Betacam SP architecture.

Other FOX O&Os that have purchased Betacam SX equipment include: KDFW, Dallas; KRIV, Houston; WAGA, Atlanta; WGHP, Greensboro; and WTXF, Philadelphia.

"Betacam SX format is a key component of the half-inch progression into the digital era and the best entry point into the industry standard MPEG platform for anyone currently using Betacam SP equipment," said Robert Ott, vice president of VTR products and marketing for Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company. "Betacam SX camcorders and VTRs are designed for intuitive control by those familiar with Betacam SP equipment, and the library of material shot in any previous Sony half-inch format is available for immediate use. We are extremely pleased that the majority of FOX O&O stations have made the decision to enter the DTV world with Betacam SX products."

FOX Television Station Group is the largest in the country with 22 stations covering 40 percent of the U.S. television households.

Sony Electronics has sold over 20,000 units of Betacam SX equipment since the line began shipping in November 1997.

Editor's Note: More information about Sony products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sony.com/nab, or readers may call 1-800-686-SONY. Additional press information is available at http://www.sony.com/news.

The Broadcast and Professional Company of Sony Electronics is a leading U.S. provider of video and audio equipment for the broadcast, production, business, industrial, government, medical, and education markets. Sony offers a wide array of products and systems for image capture, production, and display. Sony also provides specialized equipment and systems for data recording, duplication, electronic photography/publishing, video conferencing, high definition video, interactive and security applications. Sony Electronics' annual sales exceed $10.5 billion. The company has more than 25,000 employees in the U.S. and Mexico.