Press Release... Interactive Television Alliance / Dec. 03, 2002

Interactive Television Alliance Names Board of Directors
Consumer Brand, Media and Technology Executives Lead iTV Industry Trade Coalition
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 03, 2002 -- The Interactive Television Alliance (ITA) has announced its Board of Directors, with a slate featuring all segments of the iTV industry: Content, Advertising, Distribution, Data/Commerce, Marketing, Production, Applications and Hardware. The ITA's mission is to accelerate interactive television deployment in the U.S., concentrating on consumer awareness, cross-industry outreach and promoting emerging iTV technology.

"We're delighted with the caliber of our Board," commented Alliance president Ben Mendelson. "These executives are leaders in every sense: they come from the highest levels of major corporations that recognize the opportunity iTV presents. They are at the forefront in developing new creative and business models that will transform home entertainment of the future."

ITA's Board chairman is iTV veteran Art Cohen from ACTV, with Emmy-winning producer Karen Lennon (Beyond Z) as co-chairman. Their colleagues and Council Chairs include representatives from Ascent Media Group (Rosemary Danon), Comcast Corporation (Steve Heeb), Disney (Rick Mandler), Intel (Paul Pilat), Kraft Foods (Nancy Dennis), Starcom MediaVest Group (Tim Hanlon), Wink Communications (Bryan McGuirk) and WorldGate (Gerard Kunkel). Companies occupying the At Large seats include Canal+ Technologies (Arthur Orduna), DirecTV (Brad Beale), Game Show Network (John P. Roberts), Liberate (Coleman Sisson), Microsoft (Andy Beers), NTN/Buzztime (Ty Lam), Procter & Gamble (Lakish Haltalkar), Scientific Atlanta (Jenifer Cistola), Sun Microsystems (Bill Sheppard) and Turner Broadcasting System (Kevin Cohen). The ITA is managed by 2degree Partners, which is run by Ben Mendelson and Allison Dollar.
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"The composition of this Board signals that a large cross-section of industries has committed to interactive television," noted ITA chairman Art Cohen, Sr.VP, ACTV. "We've rolled up our shirtsleeves and gone to work. We're in agreement: we can't passively wait for all the pieces to fall into place. We need to pro-actively combine forces to insure that iTV will be widely available in the next two years, instead of ten years from now."

The iTV Alliance will be co-locating its Annual Meeting at Broadband Plus -- The New Western Show in Anaheim, CA, from Dec. 4 to Dec. 6. They will have a demonstration booth (#4628) showcasing iTV-enabled programming and a meeting room (#303A) above the show floor where members can gather. ITA's first Board of Directors meeting will take place on Wed., Dec. 4th, at the Anaheim Hilton. Later that evening there will be a Governors' Reception on the Lanai Deck of the Hilton.

For more information visit www.itvalliance.org, e-mail info@itvalliance.org or call 310.403.3004.

The Interactive Television Alliance is an independent, self-funding trade and professional organization representing the broad interests of the entire iTV industry. It is in the process of applying for non-profit status.


Source: Interactive Television Alliance
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