Putnam Closed-End Fund Shareholders Vote to Keep Funds Closed-End.

BOSTON -- Putnam High Income Securities Fund (NYSE: PCF), Putnam Master Intermediate Income Trust (NYSE: PIM) and Putnam Premier Income Trust (NYSE: PPT) held their annual meeting of shareholders on January 11, 2007.

At the meeting, shareholders of each fund voted against converting the fund from closed-end to open-end form. The proposal to convert to open-end form was submitted to the shareholders of the funds as a result of provisions in each fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust that require that, if the fund's shares trade at a certain discount to net asset value during the last 12 weeks of the fund's fiscal year, a proposal to convert the fund to open-end form must be presented to shareholders at the fund's next annual meeting.

As discussed in the definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 22, 2006, the Trustees believe that these funds are afforded potential investment advantages as a result of their closed-end status. For this and other reasons, the Trustees recommended that shareholders of the funds vote to defeat the proposal. The affirmative vote of more than 50% of the shares outstanding as of the record date, October 16, 2006, would have been required to pass the proposal. Fewer than 14% of each fund's outstanding shares were voted in favor of the proposal. These results are consistent with the results of shareholder voting on similar open-ending proposals in previous years by these funds and other Putnam closed-end funds.

At the annual meeting, shareholders of each fund also elected each of the 12 nominees for Trustees, who all currently serve as Trustees.

About Putnam Investments: At Putnam Investments, our top priority remains prudently managing money for our more than 10 million individual and institutional investors worldwide. Since 1937, our values have been rooted in a profound sense of responsibility for the money entrusted to us. We use a research-driven team approach to seek consistent, dependable, superior investment results over time, although there is no guarantee a fund will meet its objectives. We are committed to doing what's right for investors, including maintaining stringent investor protections for every Putnam fund.

About Putnam Investments: Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is one of the nation's oldest and largest money management firms. At the end of December 2006, Putnam Investments had $192 billion in assets under management. Mutual fund assets were $124 billion. Institutional assets were $68 billion. Putnam has headquarters in Boston and offices in London and Tokyo. For more information, go to www.putnaminvestments.com.