Backchannelmedia

Business Wire

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading and fastest-growing digital television service provider, announced today it has signed a long-term agreement with Chrysler Group to join the new DIRECTV Advertising Development Partner Program.

This program allows DIRECTV to provide clients with a robust interactive advertising and research vehicle that spans across multiple DIRECTV product platforms, such as interactive basic set-top receivers, digital video recorders (DVR) and the DIRECTV Media Center. The program will launch in September 2005.

Joining the DIRECTV Advertising Development Partner Program will enable Chrysler Group to collaborate with DIRECTV to define advertising requirements that will impact both existing and future platforms and technology. As part of the agreement, Chrysler Group will have the option of customizing its media plan with a wide variety of new media tactics.

Twentieth Television, a leader in the domestic program production and distribution arena, oversees all advertising sales on behalf of DIRECTV.

"DIRECTV believes its new Advertising Development Partner Program will offer a creative opportunity for companies to develop and distribute advertising messages that will give them a competitive edge throughout the markets in which they compete," said Eric Shanks, senior vice president, Advanced Services and Content, DIRECTV, Inc. "This program will allow DIRECTV and Chrysler Group to not only collaborate on customizing unique advertising campaigns targeted toward specific customer markets, but it will also allow Chrysler Group to help define the technology while gaining valuable research as to viewer acceptance and usage."

As part of the service, DIRECTV will perform focus group studies on selected Chrysler Group campaigns, which will help gauge the likelihood of the tactics being successful prior to deployment. In addition, DIRECTV will also receive feedback through this analysis, which will aid in its continued development of new technology for the overall advertising strategy.

Bob Cesa, executive vice president of Advertising Sales for Twentieth Television, and Bob Riordan, Twentieth Television's senior vice president, Advertising Sales, DIRECTV, jointly said, "Twentieth Television is delighted to be allied with Chrysler Group and DIRECTV on this initiative. We all share the same vision of the future of advertising. This deal will enable Chrysler Group, DIRECTV and Twentieth Television to work together to develop and learn from this new and exciting interactive platform."

"Interactivity is the inevitable future of television," said Julie Roehm, director, Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge Communications, Chrysler Group. "As marketers we are enthusiastic about the opportunity this partnership presents Chrysler Group to deliver information about our products. It allows us to provide quality content that is relevant to consumers via a medium they want to use."

The interactive advertising campaigns will be deployed on interactive basic set-top boxes, the new DIRECTV DVR, and additional platforms as they become available.

Last year, Twentieth Television entered into an agreement with DIRECTV to oversee all advertising sales on behalf of the company. Through this relationship, advertisers have the opportunity to reach DIRECTV customers through national coverage on nearly 100 general entertainment networks, as well as such DIRECTV subscription packages as the exclusive NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM) package.

PHD Detroit, the media buying and planning agency for The Chrysler Group, was responsible for bringing the Advertising Development Partner Program opportunity to the attention of its client as part of the agency's ongoing commitment to uncover new and innovative media solutions.

DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading and fastest-growing digital multichannel television service provider with more than 13.9 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment services. DIRECTV is 34 percent owned by News Corporation.

Twentieth Television

A leader in the domestic program production and distribution arena, Twentieth Television provides a wide array of first-run and off-network programming, as well as feature film packages to the syndication and cable marketplaces. First-run programs distributed by Twentieth Television include the popular court show strip "Divorce Court," which recently hit a 96-week high with a 4.4 rating and has been renewed for a seventh season; the new reality program "Ambush Makeover," which debuted nationally in fall 2004 and is the number one new daytime first-run series; and the court strip "Texas Justice," currently in its fourth season on the air that recently hit a 74-week high with a 3.0 rating. This spring, the company launched "A Current Affair," a contemporary version of the groundbreaking news magazine, and in the fall will debut the court strip "Judge Alex." Twentieth Television also oversees the domestic sales of one of the most extensive libraries of off-net programming in the entertainment industry. In 2004, it successfully sold and launched the sitcoms "Yes, Dear" and "Malcolm in the Middle," the highest rated off-net premiere for the 2004-05 season. Currently, the company is distributing the critically-acclaimed and award-winning drama "24" for a fall 2005 launch in off-net syndication. Also scheduled to make its off-net debut in fall 2005 is The Peabody Award-winning sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," while Twentieth Television is preparing the popular sitcom "Reba" for a fall 2006 launch. Other programs being slated for future off-net launches include the multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy "Arrested Development," "Still Standing," David E. Kelley's critically-acclaimed drama "Boston Legal," reality hit "The Simple Life" and the animated comedy "Family Guy."