A New Starz Is Born

A New Starz Is Born

Merger of Starz Entertainment Group, IDT Entertainment Creates Fully Integrated Media Company

New Entity Will Produce Live-Action, Animated Programming, Distribute Across All Platforms

Clasen Named Chairman, Chief Executive Officer; Calls Creativity Key to Success in Production and Distribution

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- A new, fully integrated media company, Starz, LLC, made its debut today, the result of combining IDT Entertainment (IDTE) with Starz Entertainment Group (SEG). Both are wholly owned subsidiaries of Starz, LLC, which itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. Liberty recently acquired IDTE from IDT Corp.

The new company will produce live-action and animated programming, including feature films, series, specials and shorts. It will distribute that programming to consumers however and wherever they want to watch: in theaters, on DVDs, via cable or satellite, on broadcast stations, and over the Internet in both the domestic and international markets. (See attached list of upcoming programming).

Under the new structure announced today, IDT Entertainment has been renamed Starz Media, and Starz Entertainment Group has been renamed Starz Entertainment. Robert B. Clasen will serve as chairman and chief executive officer of both entities and of Starz, LLC, which will be the umbrella company overseeing the two operating units. Clasen had been president and CEO of SEG.

"Our new company," Clasen said, "will produce all kinds of programming and distribute through all platforms. Because of that structure we will be able to provide greater creative freedom to those who produce our programming and a more innovative approach to the business relationships with those partners who distribute it. We can tailor our programming to specific needs or develop programming that works on multiple platforms. In the modern media world creativity will be the key to success, and creativity will be the hallmark of our company."

"This combination," Clasen added, "will also permit us to experiment with different release windows depending on which release sequence offers the best economic value."

Most units in the new company will be branded with the Starz name, although well-known brands such as Anchor Bay, Encore, Film Roman, Manga and Vongo will keep their identities as well.

STARZ MEDIA

At Starz Media, key business areas include:

Starz Home Entertainment manages the sales and marketing of content direct to the consumer through traditional retail and non-traditional channels. The well-known Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment brands are part of this unit. John W. Hyde, who is also president and COO of Starz Media, serves as president of Starz Home Entertainment. Prior to joining Starz Media, Hyde served as CEO of Crossroads V Communications and Starbound Records, oversaw the domestic and foreign distribution of over 125 motion pictures and led the restructuring of nearly a dozen entertainment companies. Bill Clark serves as executive vice president and general manager of Starz Home Entertainment. Manga is headed by managing director Kaoru Mfaume.

Starz Productions produces non-theatrical live action programming for DVD release and sale to networks and other outlets. The unit already produces the "Masters of Horror" series for Showtime and "Masters of Science Fiction" for ABC Television Network.

Film Roman provides animation under contract for television series. It also produces feature films, direct-to-DVD programming, commercials and music videos both internally and through strategic joint ventures. Through its division Forum Visual Effects it also produces visual effects for television and feature films. Hyde serves as CEO of Film Roman, and Scott Greenberg is president and chief operating officer.

Worldwide Distribution is responsible for all marketing, sales and distribution functions as well as Internet, wireless and general business development. Content distributed by this unit includes programming developed by Starz units and content acquired from outside producers. The team licenses the content to outlets including theaters, broadcast television, ad-supported satellite networks, premium television networks, and Internet and wireless video distributors both in the US and internationally. This unit is headed by President of Distribution and Marketing Neil Braun. Prior to joining Starz Media, Braun served as co-founder and president of Vanguard Animation, president of the NBC Television Network, chairman and CEO of Viacom Entertainment, and president and COO of Imagine Films Entertainment. Other key executives include Executive Vice President, Marketing, Amorette Jones; Executive Vice President, Television, David Ozer; and Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategy, Marc DeBevoise.

Starz Animation develops and produces animated feature-length movies. It draws on the talent of several state-of-the-art animation studios with over 600 artists and technical staff in the United States and Canada. It is headed by CEO Kent Rice and President Janet Healy. Rice had been executive advisor to SEG, and prior to that served as president and CEO of International Channel Networks and managing director and chief operating officer of Liberty Global's Norway division. Prior to joining Starz Animation, Healy was head of digital production for DreamWorks Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation. She was the producer of Shark Tale at DreamWorks. Jerry Davis serves as chief creative officer for animation. Davis had been an executive at Blue Sky Studios where he produced Robots and was a creative executive on Ice Age.

New Ventures. Chris McGurk serves as senior advisor, new ventures, to Starz Media. Prior to joining Starz Media, McGurk served as vice chairman and COO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., president and COO of Universal Pictures, and president of The Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group. Along with his advisory role, McGurk is developing a live-action motion picture and theatrical distribution business for Starz media. Additional details of this venture will be announced at a later date.

STARZ ENTERTAINMENT

At Starz Entertainment, Clasen announced the appointment of William D. Myers as president and chief operating officer, responsible for all day-to-day business operations of the company (see separate release). Myers had been executive vice president and chief financial officer for SEG. Key units of this company include:

Starz and Encore channels deliver premium television programming to 15.1 million and 27.1 million homes respectively through cable, satellite and telephone company affiliates. The unit also delivers on-demand services and high definition television channels and the newly launched IndiePlex and RetroPlex channels. Key executives of this unit include Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing Edward L. Huguez and Senior Vice President of Programming Stephan Shelanski, both of whom had held these posts at SEG. Prior to joining SEG, Huguez had been president, CEO and chairman of Midstream technologies and vice president and general manager, new media and interactive programming and platforms group at DIRECTV. Prior to joining SEG in 1994, Shelanski had worked for HBO as director of scheduling for Cinemax.

Vongo provides a menu of almost 2,000 movies and other programming, as well as a stream of the flagship Starz channel, to monthly subscribers and pay-per-view customers via broadband Internet connections. It has marketing partnerships with AT&T, HP and Toshiba. It is headed by Executive Vice President Robert Greene who held the same post at SEG. Prior to joining SEG, Greene had served as chairman and CEO of Digital Lava Inc. and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Showtime Networks Inc.

Starz Entertainment Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, Sheryl Anderson will oversee the integration of the Starz Media and Starz Entertainment human resources practices and policies.

Clasen said "At Starz Entertainment, customers of Starz, Encore and Vongo will benefit by the addition of exclusive Starz Media productions to the already outstanding core lineup of feature films and other programming. For the Starz Media unit, the deal means a guaranteed outlet on premium television and the Internet for their productions, complementing the home video, theatrical and international distribution operations already part of Starz Media."

Clasen noted that the new company will be in a strong position to acquire programming from independent producers because a producer will be able to make a single deal covering all major distribution platforms.

Clasen serves as chairman/CEO of both Starz Entertainment and Starz Media. Other executives who hold the same job at both companies include:

* Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Glenn Curtis;
* Executive Vice President and General Counsel J. Steven Beabout;
* Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Thomas P. Southwick,
* Vice President, Strategic Planning and Analysis, Linda J. Brauns.

Starz Entertainment is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.1 million and 27.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group (NASDAQ:LCAPA)(NASDAQ:LCAPB), www.starz.com.

Starz Media is a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide. It includes the Film Roman, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming -- including theatrical films -- and programming created under contract for other media companies. It distributes that programming, and programming acquired from outside producers, through home video retailers, theaters, broadcasters, ad supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group, www.starz.com.

Starz, LLC, is a holding company that operates Starz Media and Starz Entertainment. Starz LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group (NASDAQ:LCAPA)(NASDAQ:LCAPB), www.starz.com.

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Starz Entertainment, Starz Media
Slate of Live Action, Animated Programming

A sampling of programming to be produced and/or distributed by Starz:

Animated theatrical feature films: "Everyone's Hero" (premieres Sept. 15), Rob Zombie Presents "The Haunted World of El Super Beasto" (for 2007), "Space Chimps and Sheepish" (both in 2008).

Animated TV programming: "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy" (for Nick JR), "Eloise" (for Starz Kids & Family and DVD release), "Happy Elf" (to air on Starz Kids & Family), "Hellboy Animated" and "Stan Lee Presents."

Anime productions: "Ghost in the Shell," "Astro Boy," "Street Fighter," "Iron Kid" and "Karas."

Contracted animation TV shows: "The Simpsons," and "King of the Hill" (both for Fox), and "Tripping the Rift" (for SCI FI Channel) and feature film "The Simpsons" (2007).

Home entertainment distribution: "Roseanne," "Third Rock from the Sun," and "Three's Company," and fitness videos "Ten Minute Solution," "Dance off the Inches," and "Pick Your Level."

Live-action TV shows: "Masters of Horror -- Season 2" (for Showtime), "Masters of Science Fiction" for ABC.

Original documentary films: "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: Hunter S. Thompson on Film" and "Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Movie" (both on Starz Channel)

Monthly music video block: "The All Access Show" on Starz InBlack.

Micro-series: "Looking for Stars" now airing on Starz and "Stand up or Shut Up" for Starz Comedy.

Music Programming: "Musaic," a monthly concert series debuting Aug. 28 with the world premiere of the documentary "Drive Well, Sleep Carefully: On the Road with Deathcab for Cutie."

Weekly entertainment news series: "Starz The Hollywood Reporter" and "Gamer TV".

Bunnies Theater: the continuing series of animated 30-second versions of major motion pictures starring animated bunnies produced for Starz on Demand.

Contacts: Tom Southwick Jonathan Taylor
Senior Vice President Senior Vice President
Starz Entertainment/Starz Media The Lippin Group
(720) 852-5821 (323) 965-1990
303-513-3758 (cell) jtaylor@lippingroup.comtom.southwick@starz.com

SOURCE Starz, LLC

CONTACT: Tom Southwick, Senior Vice President of Starz
Entertainment/Starz Media, +1-720-852-5821, or cell, +1-303-513-3758,
tom.southwick@starz.com; or Jonathan Taylor, Senior Vice President of The
Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990, jtaylor@lippingroup.com, for Starz, LLC

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

NOTE TO EDITORS: Download high-resolution versions of the logos and related images at http://starz.mediaroom.com.

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