Outdoor Channel Names Five Finalists in 'Win Your Own Fishing Show Contest'

Outdoor Channel Names Five Finalists in 'Win Your Own Fishing Show Contest'

TEMECULA, Calif., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Outdoor Channel, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:OUTD), announced the five finalists in its 3rd annual "Win Your Own Fishing Show Contest" -- each contestant vying for a chance to host their own fishing show on The Outdoor Channel (TOC).

Finalists Karl Malcolm, a graduate student from Traverse City, MI; Rusty Neighbors, a paper mill worker from Lawton, OK; Rachel Phelps, a stay-at-home mom from Monmouth, OR; James Rada, a university professor from Bowie, MD; and Jeff Soderberg, a regional sales manager from Chandler, AZ will appear with his/her audition video posted on the TOC web site (www.outdoorchannel.com) as the public votes in their favorite for a winner to be announced on Friday, February 18th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on The Outdoor Channel.

"Response to the WYOFS contest has been absolutely incredible this year, with nearly three times as many auditions as last year's contest," said Amy Hendrickson, TOC Senior VP of Affiliate Sales and Marketing. "TOC fans are a very lively, passionate and enthusiastic bunch, and we're having a real tough time narrowing the contest down to just one winner."

As for the finalists themselves, initial reaction to the news that they were selected ranged from cautiously optimistic to being overjoyed. Finalist Jeff Soderberg commented, "I'm ecstatic! I can't believe this is happening -- I'm extremely excited," while finalist Rusty Neighbors tempered his reaction with "I figured I'd never win with all the professionals participating. I guess I'm in shock." Shock and excitement were also the sentiments of finalist Rachel Phelps, who added, "This is such a huge surprise, but it's something I've always wanted to do," and finalist Karl Malcolm, who responded with "Unbelievable! I've watched the Outdoor Channel since I was in sixth grade, and I always wondered what it would be like to have a show of my own." Summing up the reactions, finalist James Rada offered, "This is the best thing to happen to me since I learned to wear my underwear on the inside of my pants."

Nearly 5000 public auditions were held as the TOC Motor Moose bus traveled across the country to hundreds of towns throughout the nine-month contest season in 2004. Each contestant was asked to step up to a microphone and camera, tell a personal fishing story, and explain why they would make a good host of their own fishing show on The Outdoor Channel. An assigned TOC panel then chose 81 semi-finalists before narrowing the contest down to a mere five finalists, which are presently posted on the network's web site -- www.outdoorchannel.com, where the public can vote for the winner.

The contest winner will be named on Friday, February 18th 2005, and their show will air to a national audience on a date yet to be announced.

About The Outdoor Channel

The Outdoor Channel is a national television network dedicated to providing the best in traditional outdoor programming to America's 82 million anglers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. The network features approximately 100 weekly hunting, fishing, shooting sports, rodeo, motorsports, gold prospecting and related outdoor lifestyle programs. Based on February 2005 Nielsen Media Research, The Outdoor Channel's universe is approximately 24.5 million subscriber homes -- delivered through a combination of cable and satellite dish viewers.

The Outdoor Channel plans to launch its new and separate network to cable and satellite audiences, offering its popular outdoor programming entirely in high-definition. Outdoor Channel 2 HD is scheduled to debut in July 2005 and will offer programming both shared and independent of the existing Outdoor Channel. For more information about The Outdoor Channel, please visit www.outdoorchannel.com.

About Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc.

Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. (OUTD) is the owner of The Outdoor Channel and also owns and operates related businesses that serve the interests of viewers of The Outdoor Channel and other outdoor enthusiasts. These related businesses include LDMA-AU, Inc. (Lost Dutchman's) and Gold Prospector's Association of America, LLC. (GPAA). For more information about Outdoor Channel Holdings, visit www.outdoorchannelholdings.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Information in this news release that is not historical fact may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including statements, without limitation, regarding expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies about the future. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in any forward-looking statements. Outdoor Channel Holdings intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions contained in those sections. In assessing forward-looking statements, readers are urged to read carefully all cautionary statements contained in Outdoor Channel Holdings' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For these forward-looking statements, Outdoor Channel Holdings claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.


Source: The Outdoor Channel

CONTACT: Mike Hiles, +1-310-234-3200, mhiles@mphpr.com, for Outdoor
Channel

Web site: http://www.outdoorchannel.com/

Web site: http://www.outdoorchannelholdings.com/


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