Hearst Corporation Names George Kliavkoff Executive Vice President & Deputy Group Head, Hearst Entertainment & Syndication.

NEW YORK -- Hearst Corporation announced today that George Kliavkoff, 41, has been named executive vice president and deputy group head of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication. The announcement was made jointly by Frank A. Bennack, Jr., vice chairman and chief executive officer, Hearst Corporation, and Scott Sassa, president of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication.

Kliavkoff, who will report to Sassa, will be charged with leading the digital expansion of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, the operating group responsible for Hearst's interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and History; television production and distribution; newspaper syndication; and merchandise licensing. The appointment is effective today.

"George is a digital media pioneer with a long track record as an innovator and a change agent in both new and traditional media companies and we are looking forward to benefiting from his experience and vision here at Hearst," Sassa said. "George will be an invaluable contributor as we look ahead to developing meaningful and scaled digital assets across the Entertainment & Syndication Group and Hearst's diverse stable of powerful brands."

Commenting on the announcement, Bennack said: "George's appointment reflects the critical importance of the digital transformation of all Hearst businesses. He will be an integral part of digital advancements in the Entertainment & Syndication Group and an important resource to senior staff across the Corporation."

Kliavkoff was most recently chief digital officer at NBC Universal, where he was among the team responsible for the success of Hulu.com, NBCU's online video joint venture with News Corp., playing a key role in its conception and design. He was the video site's first CEO and served on the JV's board. In addition, he vastly expanded the company's digital media strategy, developing new business models and markets and overseeing the distribution of video and other products and services across digital platforms. Kliavkoff was also a driving force behind the digital traffic and revenue growth across NBCU and a number of digital media investments through the Peacock Equity Fund, which he helped form and where he sat on the board.

Prior to joining NBC in August 2006, Kliavkoff served as executive vice president, business, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Major League Baseball's interactive media and Internet company. Kliavkoff's responsibilities included managing MLB's online and mobile subscription and licensing businesses; managing MLBAM's search strategy and games licensing programs; and overseeing all business development related to baseball's interactive media unit.

Before joining MLBAM, Kliavkoff led the business development group for the consumer division of RealNetworks, the digital entertainment services company, where his responsibilities included developing partnerships and revenue opportunities related to technology and content licensing. He was among the senior management group that created the company's online media subscription services, including RealOne SuperPass, generating more than a million retained, paying customers.

Prior to RealNetworks, Kliavkoff was an attorney with law firms in Los Angeles and Seattle. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include ownership of 16 daily and 49 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Times Union; as well as interests in an additional 43 daily and 72 non-daily newspapers owned by MediaNews Group, which include the Denver Post and Salt Lake Tribune; nearly 200 magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations through Hearst-Argyle Television (NYSE:HTV) which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a minority joint venture interest in Fitch Ratings; Internet businesses, television production, newspaper features distribution and real estate.

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