CNN Interactive Launches European-Focused Web Site.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 2000

Launch of CNN.com Europe Marks CNN's 14th Web Site

CNN Interactive has launched CNN.com Europe, an English-language Web site reporting world news that impacts Europe, as well as European news that affects the world, it was announced today by Scott Woelfel, president and editor in chief of CNN Interactive. The site is accessible from the United States at http://europe.cnn.com.

The new site is produced and edited from CNN's new European interactive headquarters in London by a team of news, feature and multimedia journalists. CNN.com Europe draws on CNN's worldwide newsgathering operation to produce original news reports and analysis of how global events impact the people and countries of Europe. The site is first accessed in Europe via http://CNN.com, where a pop-up box gives users a choice between U.S. and European editions.

"The launch of CNN.com Europe underscores CNN's continued commitment to providing relevant online and broadcast services to our international audiences in Europe," said Chris Cramer, president of CNN International Networks. "It will build on CNN's success as the world's leading television broadcaster and put us in a strong position to handle the convergence of television, the PC and the mobile phone."

CNN's international operations total 18 English and local language television and Internet sites around the world. The CNN News Group operates an additional 13 television and Internet services in the U.S.

Key features of the European site include headlines of the main stories currently impacting Europe, supported with in-depth analysis of major events. The CNN.com Europe front page is focused on European and world news, weather, business, sports, technology and entertainment. Additional features of the site include regional in-depth special sites and pop-up information boxes that highlight the latest national news headlines, stock market reports, national weather, sports results and local links in France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

"CNN.com has established itself as an international brand in the five years since our first Web site was launched," said Woelfel. "Twenty to 30 percent of CNN.com's 650 million monthly page impressions comes from outside the United States, so we know there is a strong international interest in the CNN Web sites. We believe that a European-focused international news site will provide a new, compelling service to Internet users."

"The European site will be sharply focused, reporting the news and events that matter most across Europe," said David Brewer, CNN.com managing editor, Europe, Middle East and Africa. "It will provide the global coverage for which CNN.com is renowned but will move away from the traditional U.S. perspective to lead with original reports produced in our newsroom in London and by our correspondents across Europe."

The Web site will have access to CNN's worldwide newsgathering resources to build on the organization's credentials for breaking news, with European-focused analysis and commentary. The site's content complements national news services in existence across Europe by providing analysis of how local events fit in the international arena. The site will dig deeper into the news events, consulting a wide range of local and international sources to present different perspectives from around the continent and the world.

This is the first time that CNN.com has developed an English-language site specifically for the international market and is part of CNN's ongoing expansion in Europe. CNN.com already operates four local-language Web sites--in Danish, Italian, Norwegian and Swedish. A German-language site launches in October.

CNN Interactive is responsible for the award-winning news site CNN.com, as well as 13 other Web sites and the distribution of CNN news content via other platforms such as pagers and mobile phones. The CNN Web sites--which include CNN.com, CNNfn.com, CNNSI.com--are among the world's leading news and information Web sites. The CNN Web sites have averaged more than 650 million page impressions a month in 2000 and served more than 6.7 billion page impressions in 1999.

This information can also be accessed on Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s press site at http://pressroom.turner.com. Under network, select "CNN" and press "GO."