Entertainment, Music, Action Sports and Style Insiders Come Together to Form iFUSE; Internet Site To Be the Definitive, Daily Entertainment and Lifestyle Source for Generation Y.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 1999--

It was announced Tuesday that iFUSE (ifuse.com), a new entertainment and lifestyle site aimed at Generation Y, will begin beta testing with a select user base later this November.

Boasting a staff and management of industry insiders and content creators who are immersed in their respective fields, iFUSE is in a unique position to bring the user closer to the industries and present the core enthusiast's perspective on entertainment, music, action sports and style.

The fast growing iFUSE staff of 25 brings a wealth of Generation Y and industry experience: from overseeing TV and cable networks and developing young Hollywood talent, to authoring books aimed at this audience and working for leading teen, entertainment, action sports and music publications.

In addition, the site offers a variety of media, such as proprietary streaming audio, video, images and text to engage its audience. As a result, iFUSE can offer an uncompromising and authentic point of view as well as a rich variety of daily content that goes beyond the headlines and around the hype found elsewhere to create an unparalleled interactive experience.

According to Jupiter Communications, 90 percent of teens use computers and spend an average of 10 hours a week online. In 1998 their purchasing power of approximately $278 billion drove an inordinate share of the offline box office and music sales, foretelling their interest in the yet-untapped online entertainment market.

The co-founders and chief executive officers of iFUSE, Michael Dowling and Rich Battista, have a combined 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

Dowling was a motion picture talent agent at the William Morris Agency and Endeavor Agency and Battista was executive vice president at News Corp/Fox where he helped form and eventually oversaw the company's cable network as well as News Corp.'s worldwide pay TV and pay-per-view distribution for Twentieth Century Fox.

Their strengths in identifying and managing creative talent will help propel iFUSE in this highly competitive environment. Joining the founders of iFUSE as VP of Marketing is Stefan M. Gerard, former Young & Rubicam Planning Director and co-founder of the national non-profit arts organization Gen Art.

"In spite of the obvious demand -- there is no one brand that currently delivers Gen Y a daily dose of interactive entertainment content. There is yet to be one place on the Web Gen Y can call home," said Battista.

"Being a first mover in the content-driven Gen Y space will allow iFUSE to establish a relationship with Gen Y that will open the door to becoming the dominant Gen Y brand," added Gerard.

"We're offering a perspective that teens won't find at other sites," said Battista. "iFUSE is different because we live and breathe the areas we focus on."

Dowling added: "The other sites are outsiders looking in. They can't make the audience part of what's going on inside these worlds. We're creating a community experience that's not just teen to teen but one that connects our audience with the very lifestyles they want to be a part of."

There are five main areas of the site:

--            Popculprit -- entertainment news that goes beyond
              traditional celebrity journalism to offer today's pop
              culture-savvy teen guidance through the loud, surreal
              and untrustworthy world of popular culture. Users get
              daily wisdom, news, reviews and rumors about
              "entertainment" and modern mass culture.

--            Motion Project -- offers a behind-the-scenes perspective
              on the world of action sports, with a special emphasis
              on skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing. Users will
              see video features of their favorite athletes in
              competition and at home, receive tips on the latest
              tricks, read about the worldwide travels of a pro
              snowboarder and filmmaker and can even report on local
              events.

--            Crush21 -- style that goes beyond what shoes to wear
              with which dress. This area gives users a close-up look
              at today's young, successful and creative people to find
              out how they got where they are and what the local
              culture is really like in the hottest cities around the
              world. There are also areas for teens to share their
              creativity with others through crafts and book clubs.

--            Subsounds -- a place where teens can discover new and
              original music. All of the content is designed to bring
              a new way of discovering and enjoying music. Users will
              see features on three new acts every week from a variety
              of different genres. Users can download music, hear
              streaming audio or listen to streaming radio while they
              read music news and features that are relevant to what
              they're interested in.

--            HeyGimme! -- accouterments for their everyday life:
              stuff for their car, their room, their locker, their
              friends. Bringing a similar editorial approach to
              ecommerce, Gen Y will be able to purchase lifestyle
              accessories that aren't easily accessible in the local
              mall. Product areas include zines/books, hard-to-find
              movie and TV paraphernalia, sports and music.

The key players responsible for iFUSE have a breadth of experience in their respective areas and live the lifestyle they're reporting on.

Glenn Gaslin is the managing editor of entertainment news (Popculprit). In addition to serving as the online editor for the weekly independent Los Angeles paper New Times, Gaslin was a staff writer at the L.A. Daily News and the author of "The Complete Cross-Referenced Guide to the Baby Buster Generation's Collective Unconscious."

Krissy DiLeo is the director of sports and youth trends (Motion Project). She worked at Transworld Publications, the leading publisher of alternative sports magazines, and has an extensive background in teen marketing, strategy development, research and trend forecasting for Fortune 500 companies.

Clea Hantman and Keva Marie are co-directors of style/e-commerce (Crush21). Both Hantman and Marie co-created FOXY.com, the first online teen presence, and co-authored "Knockout!: 365 Things To Do, Make and Ponder" as well as "The Muses," which is due out from HarperCollins in Fall 2000.

Hantman also created and/or wrote for various Web sites, owned her own pop culture store at age 19 and has worked for many music, style and teen magazines. Marie created and designed her own line of clothing at age 19, created and served as the editor of Sweetie, the magazine of Wet Seal/Contempo, and wrote for a host of teen magazines.

Aaron Grosky and Lisa B are co-directors of music (Subsounds). Grosky has six years of extensive music industry experience with companies such as Geffen Records, Epic Records and Columbia Records and created and implemented Almo Sounds Web site, intranet and overall Web presence.

Lisa B. has five years of experience in the music and marketing businesses, has worked at the street-level music marketing firm Asylum, and has written for music, entertainment and youth publications.