CNN and PointCast Announce Partnership That Redefines the Delivery of News Over the Internet; CNN News To Be Broadcast Directly to Computer Screens via the PointCast Network.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 1996--In a worldwide telephone conference call, CNN Interactive, the world's leading interactive news service and PointCast Incorporated, the leader in broadcast news via the Internet, today announced a partnership to add CNN's news resources to the PointCast Network, redefining the way news is presented over the Internet. The companies also announced an extensive co-marketing and television advertising campaign to widely distribute the service.

The PointCast Network is the first product to broadcast up-to-the-minute news directly to computer screens in place of a computer's idle time. Beginning in the Fall, viewers of the PointCast Network will receive CNN news from around the world, as it is happens, directly on their computer screens. The PointCast Network is a free news network that can be downloaded at www.pointcast.com.

According to the agreement, CNN will provide PointCast with the most accurate and up-to-date news using the networks' global resources, which includes 30 bureaus around the world and the main news gathering facility at CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.

Internet users can also download a co-branded version of the PointCast Network from the CNN web site at cnn.com and cnnfn.com, beginning this Fall.

"The rapid development of the Internet has changed how the news flows from the source to the consumer," said Harry Motro, senior vice president, CNN Interactive. "We believe that by partnering with PointCast we can establish a new standard for effective delivery of news and information worldwide."

CNN Interactive Content

CNN will begin broadcasting its up-to-the-minute news content through PointCast's News channel in the Fall of 1996. Existing PointCast Network viewers will automatically receive CNN news when it becomes available this Fall. CNN Financial Network (CNNfn) will be available as an optional channel in the Fall, and CNNSI, a joint venture between CNN and Sports Illustrated, will be an option in the future.

"There is one news network that stands for accurate, comprehensive news as it happens, and that network is CNN," said Chris Hassett, president and CEO of PointCast. "Combining CNN's editorial excellence with PointCast's Internet broadcast technology gives viewers unprecedented access to breaking news at their desks, throughout the business day."

Unique "Pointcasted" Delivery

PointCast developed "pointcasting" - which is the ability for viewers to personalize the news they receive. PointCast's patent-pending SmartScreen technology automatically begins running the PointCast Network when a viewer's computer is not in use, turning a static screen saver into a dynamic, information-rich medium. Now, instead of looking at a screen saver while talking on the phone, users can view current headlines, stock quotes, and sports scores on their screen. To obtain the full story on any topic, the viewer simply clicks on the headline.

Current channels on the PointCast Network include: News, Companies, Industries, Weather, Sports, Lifestyle, Time Warner's Pathfinder and Internet. Content providers for these channels include: Reuters, PR Newswire, Business Wire, Standard and Poor's ComStock, AccuWeather, SportsTicker and Time, People and Money Magazines. The Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times are available to viewers in each respective geographic region.

Major Technology and Marketing Initiatives

CNN and PointCast will make significant investments in staffing and technology to optimize the presentation and delivery of CNN's news resources on the PointCast Network. Both companies will develop the technology needed to present CNN news in the most compelling and unique way.20

In addition, the companies have agreed to a major marketing campaign, which includes PointCast television spots across various Turner broadcast networks. Separately, CNN will control the commercial inventory on its channels and will begin selling them in the first quarter of 1997.

"PointCast is an important medium for marketers because it allows them to broadcast commercials directly into the office," said Anna Zornosa, vice president of sales for PointCast. "CNN is an ideal sales and marketing partner to help advertisers understand the potential of this product."

"We chose to partner with PointCast because this application represents a new way for marketers to reach the full spectrum of computer users around the world with visually compelling content as well as high-impact advertising," said Daniel Stone, senior vice president and general manager, Turner Interactive Marketing and Sales. "Advertising on the PointCast Network is effective both as a stand-alone marketing tool and in conjunction with web site advertising."

CNN Background

CNN Interactive provides news from around the world with the same speed, fairness and accuracy that viewers expect from CNN television. CNN Interactive's complete coverage of news, sports and weather includes video, sound clips, photographs and maps. The CNN Interactive Web site serves 40 million hits and six-and-a-half million page views per week.

PointCast Background

PointCast was founded in 1992 to provide current news and information services to viewers via the Internet. New products include the PointCast Network and PointCast I-Server for corporate Intranets. The Company has received more than $12 million to date in venture capital funding from Benchmark Capital, Merrill Pickard Anderson and Eyre, and Mohr Davidow Ventures. Top management at PointCast is comprised of former executives from Adobe, Oracle, Lotus, and Ziff-Davis Publishing. The Board of Directors includes Dr. Charles Geschke, President of Adobe; Sanford Climan, Executive Vice President of MCA/Universal and representatives from the Company and its investors. -0- Note to Editors: PointCast and SmartScreen are trademarks of PointCast Incorporated. Other names and trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: PointCast Public Relations 

Jeanette Braaten or Stephanie Gnibus, 408/777-2364/2381

[e-mail] or [e-mail]

or

The Horn Group (for PointCast)

Barbara Reichert/Kathleen Flaherty, 415/579-6448/6440

breichert/[e-mail]

or

CNN Interactive Public Relations

Lori Konopka, 404/827-3043

[e-mail]