New York Times Company To Standardize On Grass Valley Group's Digital Switchers

Diversified media company to deploy Kalypso Video Production Center, Zodiak systems across all broadcast properties

Nevada City, Calif. May 21, 2001 — The Grass Valley Group announced today that the New York Times Company, a diversified media leader, will standardize on Grass Valley™ digital switchers, deploying Kalypso™ Video Production Center and Zodiak™ systems across its broadcast properties. The announcement reflects the continued worldwide momentum for the Kalypso system, more than 150 of which have been shipped in the last year, as well as the strong market reaction to the Zodiak system, which debuted at NAB 2001 last month.

The New York Times Company will deploy the Kalypso and Zodiak systems across its entire station group, which includes WHNT-TV, Huntsville, Ala.; KFSM-TV, Fort Smith, Ark.; WHO-TV, Des Moines, Iowa; WQAD-TV, Moline, Ill.; KFOR-TV, Oklahoma City, Okla.; WNEP-TV, Scranton, Pa.; WREG-TV, Memphis, Tenn.; and WTKR-TV, Norfolk, Va.

"This is a big win for the Grass Valley Group, a huge win for our technology, and a terrific reward for our substantial, ongoing investments in research and development," said Tim Thorsteinson, CEO of the Grass Valley Group. "We're delighted to be bringing our market-leading video expertise to one of the world's greatest media companies."

Today's announcement reflects a consistent, worldwide demand for the Kalypso system. Recent key Kalypso orders include those from KQED, a public broadcaster based in San Francisco, Calif.; National Mobile Television, a provider of mobile facilities for the production of television and Internet broadcasts based in Los Angeles, Calif., KVUE in Austin, Texas; the Miami, Fla.-based network operations center of Univision, the Spanish-language network; and Visions a mobile production company based in the United Kingdom.

The announcement today also reflects the strong market opportunity for the Zodiak system, one borne on the convergence of several trends: the anticipated digital conversion of most small- and mid-market broadcast stations in the United States; the demand for mid-sized switchers in mobile applications, such as production trucks in the U.S. and OB vans overseas; digital upgrades to on-line post production suites; and the desire of venues like sports arenas to add greater production value to live events. The switcher's combination of production power and affordability makes it a perfect fit for these markets.

About The Kalypso Video Production Center

As the hub of a teleproduction environment, the Kalypso Video Production Center family combines industry-leading switching and powerful mix/effects (M/E) capabilities with an open, networked architecture that offers a precedent-setting degree of operational integration. With 80 inputs (video or key) it offers fingertip control of a number of previously off-board functions to streamline workflow, from greater M/E capabilities to a programmable clean-feed system. All from a familiar Grass Valley interface.

About The Zodiak Switcher

With an unrivaled combination of production power and affordability, the Zodiak switcher offers users in sports arena, post-production, mobile, and mid- and small-market broadcast facilities a cost-effective way to replace their aging analog switchers—or to build new digital production operations from scratch. The switcher includes 2.5- and 3 mix/effects (M/E) configurations that feature a Grass Valley interface, basic programmable clean feed system, low power consumption, and a seven rack-unit (RU) frame size.

About The Grass Valley Group

The Grass Valley Group knows more about high-quality video than anybody else—especially as video goes digital. The Internet. Digital cinema. Data-enhanced broadcasting. Interactive television. It's a world of Digicasting-one that demands Media Without Bounds solutions. Whether online or on the air, the Emmy^® award-winning Grass Valley Group, a privately held digital media leader, has the hardware, software, and new media technologies to get content wherever it needs to go.

For the latest Grass Valley Group product information, visit www.grassvalleygroup.com.

# #