Carole Black Named President and CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services.

BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Feb. 15, 1999--Carole Black, veteran television executive and currently President and General Manager of NBC4 in Los Angeles, has been named President and CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services, it was announced today by Robert Iger, President of ABC, Inc. and Frank A. Bennack, Jr., President and CEO of The Hearst Corporation.

In her new position, Black will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the premier provider of women's programming, including marketing, advertising sales, affiliate sales, new media, research, programming, strategic planning and operations. Black will oversee both Lifetime Television and the recently launched Lifetime Movie Network. Lifetime Entertainment Services is a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

"Carole's record at NBC4, along with her vast experience, makes her the perfect person to lead Lifetime into the next millennium," says Anne Sweeney, President of Disney/ABC Cable Networks and a Co-Chair of Lifetime. "The Lifetime networks will benefit significantly from her programming experience as well as her sharp business and management abilities."

Raymond E. Joslin, President of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication and the other Co-Chair of Lifetime, added, "Lifetime has been the leading television service for women for more than a decade. I'm confident that under Carole's leadership, the network will prosper further as the primary place for women's programming and information."

Black most recently served as President and General Manager of NBC4 in Los Angeles, where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of all areas of operation, including news, programming, sales, marketing, promotion, strategic planning and operations. Black was the first woman to head a commercial station in the Los Angeles marketplace.

Under her leadership, NBC4 enjoyed unparalleled success, rising from second in the marketplace to a dominant number one in the Southern California area in less than two years.

In 1998, NBC4 became the first station to win seven out of seven weekday and weekend news races in a sweeps period, topping its own record of winning six out of seven in both 1996 and 1997. In the sales arena, NBC4 became the market's top billing station in 1996 for the first time in decades. It continued its sales domination in 1997 and 1998, with the last three years being the most profitable in the station's 50-year history.

Prior to her appointment at NBC4, Black was senior vice president, marketing, television, at the Walt Disney Company, where she was key to the conceptualization and launch of "The Disney Afternoon," the highly successful children's programming franchise. She also led the marketing effort on the sale of "Home Improvement" into syndication, which proved instrumental in making that comedy series one of the most profitable shows ever sold.

From 1986 to 1988, Black served as vice president, worldwide marketing home video for Disney, where she was credited with establishing brand management and the enormously successful sell-through business of Disney-branded films. Under her direction, the domestic video division rose from sixth to first, and the Disney brand became the dominant leader throughout the world.

Prior to joining the Disney organization, Black worked at DDB Needham in Chicago from 1983 to 1986, where she rose from account supervisor to senior vice president, management representative. She began her career in brand management with Procter & Gamble in her native Cincinnati, just after she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Ohio State University.

Active in the television industry, Black currently serves on the Board of Directors of HRTS (Hollywood Radio and Television Society) and NATPE (National Association of Television Programming Executives).

Black will relocate to New York City.

Lifetime Television is dedicated to providing contemporary and informative programming for women. Lifetime is available on more than 11,000 cable systems and alternative delivery systems nationwide, serving over 73 million households.