Financial Times Launches Company Announcement Service In Association With Business Wire.

LONDON -- Today the Financial Times will launch its Company Announcement Service with Business Wire, the global news distribution company. The service has been launched to assist companies in disseminating their key announcements when the EU Transparency Obligations Directive comes into effect in January 2007.

Using Business Wire Connect, companies can now upload their press releases and publish them directly on FT.com, as well as having the option to include a shortened version of the announcement in the Financial Times newspaper. Clients will also be able to access Business Wire's regulatory filing services and global news distribution circuits.

Clients can choose from four packages:

* FT Online: a fully searchable press release published on FT.com

* FT Online Premium: a multimedia press release published on FT.com including images, documents & webcasts

* FT Newspaper & Online: a next-day extract of the press release in the FT's European and UK editions

* FT Newspaper & Online Premium: a next-day extract of the press release with a link to a multimedia release online

The press releases will also appear in FT.com's global archive and will be distributed via the FT's news aggregation channels. Planned enhancements to the service include the releases being published on the websites of the FT sister publications, Les Echos and Financial Times Deutschland.

Business Wire satisfies statutory disclosure requirements in more markets worldwide than any other service. Business Wire's multi-channel distribution platform also provides comprehensive coverage of the mainstream media, portals and online services, and leading archival databases.

Mark Cunnington, Director of Data Publishing, commented: "The Company Announcement Service is a new way for the FT to help clients publicise their company news to the people that matter. Working with a global market leader in news distribution ensures companies' press releases will be handled efficiently and effectively, enabling them to get swift access to our unique audience. Using FT.com, the FT newspaper and our sister publication websites we can offer the perfect vehicle for companies wanting their announcements to reach investors and senior business executives across the UK and Continental Europe."

"The Financial Times is an indispensible read for top-level executives," said Cathy Baron Tamraz, Business Wire's president and chief executive officer. "Business Wire is extremely pleased to be affiliated with the Financial Times in creating a corporate disclosure service that will assist EU companies in meeting the new compliance standards of the Transparency Obligations Directive. The combination of Business Wire and the Financial Times provides a unique and powerful platform that guarantees maximum visibility among all key audiences in the international investment and business community."

Ends

About the Financial Times:

The Financial Times Group, one of the world's leading business information companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information and services to the growing audience of internationally minded business people. The FT Group includes:

* The Financial Times, one of the world's leading business newspapers, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed in 23 cities across the globe, has a daily circulation of over 437,117 and a readership of more than 1.4 million people worldwide.

* FT.com is one of the world's leading business information websites, and the internet partner of the FT newspaper. Since its relaunch in May 2002, the website has continued to be the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 5.5 million unique monthly users (ABC electronic figures March 06), generating 41 million page views and has 84,000 subscribers. FT.com broke even in December 2002.

* The FT Group's pan-European network of national business newspapers and online services including France's leading business newspaper and website, Les Echos and lesechos.fr. In February 2000, the FT launched a new German language newspaper, FT Deutschland, with a fully integrated online business news and data service.

* Through FT Interactive Data, the FT Group is one of the world's leading sources of securities pricing and specialist financial information to global institutional, professional and individual investors. Its products include eSignal, an online realtime streaming quotation service for brokers and active traders.

* FT Business, which produces specialist information on the retail, personal and institutional finance industries. It publishes the UK's premier personal finance magazine, Investors Chronicle, and The Banker, Money Management and Financial Adviser for professional advisers.

* The Mergermarket Group, whose products and services provide the global advisory and corporate communities with intelligence and analysis. With regional head offices in London, New York and Hong Kong and 200 journalists in 46 locations worldwide, reliable and validated proprietary intelligence and historical data is provided via the mergermarket, dealReporter, Debtwire and wealthmonitor on-line platforms.

* The Financial Times Group also has a stake in a number of joint ventures, including;

* FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange 

* Vedomosti, Russia's leading business newspaper and a partnership venture with Dow Jones and Independent Media

* A 50% stake in BDFM, publishers of South Africa's leading financial newspapers and websites

* A 50% stake in The Economist Group, which publishes the world's leading weekly business and current affairs journal

* A 13.85% stake in Business Standard, one of India's leading financial newspapers

The FT Group is part of Pearson plc, the international media group.

About Business Wire:

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is utilized by thousands of member companies and organizations to transmit their full-text news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, news media, trade publications, institutional and individual investors, financial information services, regulatory authorities, Internet portals, information web sites, business-to-business decision-makers and consumers worldwide. With a news distribution network spanning 150 countries and 45 languages, Business Wire's multi-channel delivery network, has access to some 60 international and national news agency networks throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Business Wire's European regulatory compliance networks include Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Working with prominent international distribution partners, Business Wire provides easy, one-stop access to global markets.

The Business Wire news network is powered by its patented NX high-speed data platform and supports XML, XHTML and XBRL code to deliver the most sophisticated news file to enhance news release interactivity, customization and search engine optimization. Business Wire has 30 bureaus in cities including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Brussels, Tokyo and Sydney with reciprocal offices throughout the world. Business Wire was founded in 1961 by Chairman Lorry I. Lokey, veteran journalist and public relations executive. Cathy Baron Tamraz is president and CEO.