Bill Hilary Named General Manager of Comedy Central-R-; BBC Executive Assumes Post January 17, 2000.

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 16, 1999--

Broadcasting executive Bill Hilary has been appointed to the newly created position of general manager and executive vice president, COMEDY CENTRAL, it was announced today by Larry Divney, President and CEO. Hilary will report directly to Divney. Hilary is currently Head of the BBC's Independent Commissioning Group overseeing all original programming, marketing and business decisions at the division. He officially joins the network January 17, 2000 and will be based in New York.

Hilary will oversee all programming and marketing functions at COMEDY CENTRAL. This encompasses programming, development, production, co-productions, consumer and trade marketing and advertising, creative services, on-air promotion, acquisitions, audience research, international sales and scheduling.

"With COMEDY CENTRAL's continued growth and financial success it is important that we establish a senior management position to ensure a unified creative voice for the network's programming and marketing efforts," said Divney. "Bill Hilary's extraordinary credentials and experience in all aspects of television make him ideally suited for the challenge of further building and solidifying our brand."

"I am thrilled to join such an exciting and successful enterprise such as COMEDY CENTRAL," said Hilary. "My experience has proven the importance of an integrated network vision as executed through a coordinated programming and marketing strategy. I look forward to working with the team at COMEDY CENTRAL as we work to establish, refine and communicate that unique voice."

Eileen Katz, executive vice president, programming, COMEDY CENTRAL has decided to leave the company. "All of us would like to thank Eileen for her contributions to the channel's success," said Divney. "We wish her well in all of her future endeavors."

In his 17 years in British broadcasting Bill Hilary has played a vital role on the cutting edge of the television industry, from the pioneering and innovative days of Youth Programs at the BBC to the inception of the UK's most original and controversial Youth Programs department at Channel 4. At Granada Television, Hilary broadened the program base with a wide variety of distinctive primetime, daytime and late night programming. He was also part of the team that developed and launched new channels for Granada Sky Broadcasting. In the last two years Hilary has rejuvenated the independent entertainment and comedy portfolio at the BBC and was quickly promoted to run the department which includes drama, entertainment and factual programming.

Hilary began his career in the early 1980's first in legal and business affairs and then worked in research, and then became a producer and director. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Youth Programs unit in the UK, at the BBC in Belfast. Because of his early success in Ireland, Hilary became the assistant head of Youth and Entertainment Features at the BBC in London in 1989. A year later he left the BBC to join Wall to Wall Productions as an editor of the award-winning "Media Show" at Channel 4 and soon thereafter he became deputy editor of another award-winning series "Under the Sun" for BBC2.

In 1992 Hilary joined Channel 4 as Commissioning editor of Youth and Entertainment Features where he increased the number of series from four to fourteen to become the largest and most successful producers of youth programs in the UK. This role entailed managing a wide variety of programming; motivating creative producers; developing new ideas, purchasing international formats and programs; co-producing; developing strategies with advertising and marketing executives. Programs under his direction include "The Big Breakfast," "The Word" and the award-winning "Eurotrash."

In 1994 Hilary was tapped as Head of Arts and Entertainment at Granada Television, working mainly with the Independent Television network where he reestablished the department with a raft of new entertainment shows aimed at attracting a younger audience to ITV.

In recent years Hilary had become an active member of the senior management team at the BBC. As Head of Entertainment at the Independent Commissioning Group he was responsible for building the department, ensuring that the best talent and ideas were being commissioned at the BBC on both channels. His success in the first year resulted in his promotion to Head of the Independent Commissioning Group.

Hilary was born and educated in Belfast, Ireland and graduated from Queens University with a degree and postgraduate degree in Law. He, his wife and two children, will be relocating to New York.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network is currently available in over 62 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL, a registered trademark of Comedy Partners, is a 50-50 joint venture of Time Warner Entertainment Company and Viacom. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is http://www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit COMEDY CENTRAL's press-only website at http://press.comedycentral.com (User name: press; Password: comedy).