Home Improvement Pioneer Bob Vila Hammers Deal To Launch Bob Vila Tools(TM) on HSN

Home Improvement Pioneer Bob Vila Hammers Deal To Launch Bob Vila Tools(TM) on HSN

Television's First Do-It-Yourself Expert Ventures into Own Line of Project-Based Tools Exclusively For TV Shopping Network HSN and HSN.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bob Vila, a trusted authority in home improvement, has signed a deal to build his own line of tools, which will launch exclusively for the electronic retailer HSN, it was announced today. Vila is now drawing on decades of experience in teaching home improvement to create his own line of innovative tools for HSN, an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IACI).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060921/CLTH026)

The new line of Bob Vila Tools(TM) is scheduled to premiere on October 6 and 7 on HSN TV and http://www.hsn.com/, with Vila introducing new products on the network throughout the year. During his appearances on HSN, the renowned home improvement expert will guide viewers through a variety of household projects in an easy to understand way as guest experts perform each task.

"Over the years, I began to notice that a number of today's hand tools just weren't user-friendly enough for the average homeowner, who might be leery of tackling a do-it-yourself project," says Vila. "That motivated me to create a line of tools that would help take some of the mystery out of home improvement and allow the consumer to get better results. Since television is my second home, and HSN has the ability to reach millions of active shoppers with a single broadcast, this partnership is a great way for me to launch this new business."

"The launch of Bob Vila Tools represents what we do best at HSN," states Rob Gruen, Executive Vice President of Merchandising at HSN. "We provide great products presented and demonstrated by a credible expert with all of the information our customers need to make an informed decision."

The line will initially include the core tools that every home needs to accomplish day-to-day tasks, ranging from $16.90 for a utility knife that can replace its blade with just the flick of a switch, to $79.90 for a 300-piece drill accessory center that comes in a carrying case with a transparent cover for quick access.

Project-based "how to" kits featuring instructional DVDs and corresponding tools will also be introduced to give consumers everything they need to complete a specific project. Project kits with video tutorials will range from hanging blinds to larger tasks like installing chair rails and bead board.

Vila pioneered the do-it-yourself home improvement industry more than 25 years ago. The television icon has been making complicated home projects easy and accessible to millions of viewers with hit programs like the long-running This Old House. His latest venture http://www.bobvila.com/ and Bob Vila, which is currently in syndication in over 200 markets nationwide, will also enable him to demonstrate the versatility of his products to a broader audience.

To see Bob Vila and his tool collection, please tune in to HSN on Friday, October 6 at 10 p.m. and Saturday, October 7 at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (all times EDT). His collection will also be available at http://www.hsn.com/.

About HSN:

HSN, an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IACI), originated the electronic retailing concept in 1977 and has since evolved into a global multichannel retailing giant, offering thousands of unique products in fashion, beauty, home, jewelry and electronics. Customers who shop on HSN can find name brands such as Kodak, Gateway Computers and Wolfgang Puck Bistro cookware, as well as fashions from Randolph Duke and Beverly Feldman. HSN's product offerings can be found across a number of retailing platforms including TV, where HSN reaches 89 million U.S. households and is now the 4th largest cable television network in the U.S.; the Internet, through its easy- to-use Web site, http://www.hsn.com/; and catalogs, with its Cornerstone Brands portfolio of titles including Alsto's, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Improvements, IOS, Smith and Noble, The Territory Ahead and TravelSmith. In 2005, HSN generated worldwide consolidated sales of $3 billion, answered 62 million calls and delivered 60 million products worldwide.

About Bob Vila:

Bob Vila is the host of the nationally syndicated Bob Vila television series. One of the country's best known authorities on home improvement, Vila has been an on-air personality for 26 years and is also the author of eleven books, including the five-volume Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America, and his latest, Bob Vila's Complete Guide to Remodeling Your Home. BobVila.com ranks as one of the top home improvement sites on the web. It aims to assist people at every stage of the building and remodeling process and provides homeowners with end-to-end solutions for transforming their houses into dream homes via the Internet. Visitors to the site can stream video clips from over 15 years of informative and entertaining Bob Vila programming, as well as clips from the current season of Bob Vila.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060921/CLTH026
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: HSN

CONTACT: Lisa Zupko, for HSN, +1-727-872-5718, or Lisa.Zupko@HSN.net; or
Eddie Ward, for Bob Vila, +1-212-966-4600, or Eddie@drcpublicrelations.com

Web site: http://www.hsn.com/
http://www.bobvila.com/

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