Data Broadcasting Reports 26% Increase in Pro Forma EBITDA to $24.5 Million.

Business Editors

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2001

Data Broadcasting Corporation (NASDAQ NM: DBCC) (DBC) today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2001. This is the Company's fourth full reporting period since the completion of its merger with Financial Times Interactive Data (FTID, formerly Financial Times Asset Management).

On a pro forma basis, reported as if the DBC and FTID businesses had been combined on January 1, 2000, revenues for the first quarter of 2001 totaled $83.8 million, a 5% increase from the comparable period in 2000. Pro forma EBITDA for the first quarter of 2001 totaled $24.5 million, or $0.27 per share, a 26% increase from the same period in 2000.

Stuart Clark, president and chief executive officer, commented, "DBC's underlying performance in the first quarter was in line with our expectations. Our financial results were affected by a $2 million reserve taken against all receivables owed to us by Bridge Information Systems Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2000. Excluding this reserve, EBITDA would have totaled $26.5 million."

Mr. Clark noted, "Our institutional business continues to be strong, generating $71 million or 85% of the Company's revenues and virtually all of our EBITDA. On a pro forma basis, revenues from DBC's institutional clients increased by 9% compared to the first quarter of 2000. Excluding the effects of foreign exchange, pro forma institutional revenues grew by 11%. The strength of our institutional business more than offset the weakness in our retail segment, which has been adversely affected by the downturn in the stock market. It has been, and continues to be, our objective to achieve double digit growth on the institutional side. We are pleased that sales across our data and analytic products have continued to be strong despite the difficult economic conditions."

Mr. Clark continued, "In March 2001 we announced the re-branding of DBC's Institutional Services Division as FT Interactive Data. The FT brand is highly respected across the global financial community and we are very pleased to be able to use it as part of the new image we are creating for our institutional business. The use of the FT brand has been particularly effective for us in Europe, where our growth rate in the first quarter was the highest of all our geographic areas."

Mr. Clark concluded, "To align DBC more closely with our core institutional business, we have also begun the process of changing the Company's name to Interactive Data Corporation. This name is better known by our institutional customers and more aptly communicates our expanded mission and the many opportunities that await us. In addition, reflecting their confidence in the Company's business, DBC's board of directors recently authorized the repurchase of up to two million shares of the Company's common stock. Our priority has traditionally been to build our cash so that DBC would have the financial resources we needed to develop our business going forward. Given our March 31, 2001 cash position of $66 million and no outstanding debt, we now have the option to buy back shares as well."

Financial Results

For the quarter ended March 31, 2001, the Company reported revenues of $83.8 million versus $64.4 million for the first quarter of 2000. Results for the two periods are not comparable due to DBC's merger with FTID on March 1, 2000, which was accounted for as a reverse merger. EBITDA totaled $24.5 million, or $0.27 per share, for the first quarter of 2001 versus $18.7 million, or $0.27 per share, for the first quarter of 2000. Net income totaled $157,000, or essentially breakeven per share, versus a loss of $5.2 million, or $0.08 per share, in the first quarter of 2000. DBC's financial results for the first quarter of 2000 included a pre-tax loss of $6.4 million from the Company's equity stake in MarketWatch.com, Inc., which the Company sold in December 2000. The transaction closed on January 9, 2001.

Conference Call Information

Data Broadcasting Corporation's management will conduct a conference call today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the first quarter 2001 results and other matters. The dial-in number for the call is 212-346-6423; no access code is required. Investors and interested parties may also listen to the call via a live web broadcast available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site at www.dbc.com and through www.StreetEvents.com. To listen, please register and download audio software at the site at least 15 minutes prior to the call. A replay will be available on both web sites shortly after the call. In addition, a telephone replay will be available for seven days beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on May 3, 2001. To access the replay, please dial 800-633-8284 or 858-812-6440 and request reservation #18578953.

About Data Broadcasting Corporation

Data Broadcasting Corporation is a leading global provider of financial and business information to institutional and individual investors. The Company supplies time sensitive pricing, dividend, corporate action and descriptive information for more than 3.5 million securities traded around the world, including hard-to-value unlisted fixed income instruments. At the core of the business are its extensive database expertise and technology resources.

DBC delivers real-time, end-of-day and historically archived data to customers through a variety of products featuring Internet, dedicated line, satellite and dial-up delivery protocols. Through a broad range of partnerships and alliances, the Company provides links to most of the world's best-known financial service and software companies for trading, analysis, portfolio management and valuation.

DBC, with approximately 1,600 employees, is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts and has more than 20 offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, including the world's key financial centers of New York, London and Tokyo. DBC is majority owned by Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO), an international media company, whose businesses include the Financial Times Group, Pearson Education, and the Penguin Group.

Forward-looking and cautionary statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and is subject to the safe-harbor created by such Act. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the presence of competitors with greater financial resources than the Company's and their strategic response to the Company's services and products; (ii) changes in technology, which could affect the competitiveness of the Company's products and services; (iii) a decline in activity levels in the securities markets, which could lower demand for the Company's products and services; (iv) consolidation of financial services, both within an industry and across industries, which could lower demand for the Company's products and services; (v) the loss of key employees assigned to work associated with the integration of the recently acquired businesses of the Company and other delays in integration; (vi) prolonged outage at one of the Company's data centers; (vii) the acceptance of the Internet as a reliable real-time distribution platform by institutional customers; (viii) the ability of the Company to broaden its subscriber base by adding more individual investors outside of the Company's traditional "active-trader" market; (ix) the potential obsolescence of the Company's services due to the introduction of new technologies; and (x) other trends in competitive or economic conditions affecting the Company's financial condition or results of operations not presently contemplated. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

            DATA BROADCASTING CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
            CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                              (Unaudited)
            (In thousands of dollars except per share data)

                                                Three Months Ended
                                                     March 31

                                                 2001          2000

REVENUES
 Institutional                                  71,085        60,020
 Retail
 - eSignal                                       9,257         1,694
 - Broadcast                                     3,433         2,731

 Total                                          83,775        64,445

COSTS & EXPENSES
 Cost of Services                               26,551        21,927
 Selling, general & administrative              32,693        23,833

EBITDA                                          24,531        18,685

 Depreciation                                    3,087         2,163
 Amortization                                   21,465        15,268

 Total costs & expenses                         83,796        63,191

INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS                      (21)        1,254

 Equity in loss from MarketWatch.com, Inc.           0        (6,382)
 Other income, net                                 658           133

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES                  637        (4,995)
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes               480           227

NET INCOME (LOSS)                                  157        (5,222)

NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
 Basic                                           0.002         (0.08)
 Diluted                                         0.002         (0.08)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES
OUTSTANDING
 Basic                                          91,211        68,634
 Diluted                                        91,604        68,634


            DATA BROADCASTING CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
                   PRO FORMA SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
                              (Unaudited)
            (In thousands of dollars except per share data)

                                       Three Months Ended
                                             March 31

                                        2001        2000     Change
REVENUES
 Institutional                        71,085       65,440      9%
 Retail
 - eSignal                             9,257        6,818     36%
 - Broadcast                           3,433        7,510    -54%

 Total                                83,775       79,768      5%

COSTS & EXPENSES
 Cost of Services                     26,551       29,284     -9%
 Selling, general & administrative    32,693       30,983      6%

EBITDA                                24,531       19,501     26%

 Depreciation                          3,087        3,196     -3%
 Amortization                         21,465       21,149      1%

 Total costs & expenses               83,796       84,612     -1%

INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS            (21)      (4,844)   100%
 Other income, net                       658          501     31%

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES        637       (4,343)   115%
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes     480        1,629     71%

NET INCOME (LOSS)                        157       (5,972)   103%

NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
 Basic                                 0.002        (0.07)
 Diluted                               0.002        (0.07)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES
OUTSTANDING
 Basic                                91,211       91,058
 Diluted                              91,604       91,058