Thomson And Geocast Preview First RCA-Branded Geocast Receiver At CES 2000

At the International Consumer Electronics Show, Thomson Multimedia (NYSE: TMS), America's largest television manufacturer, and Geocast Network Systems, Inc. previewed the capabilities of a comprehensive terrestrial broadcast-based digital television datacasting system and service that will reach millions of homes from coast to coast.In the first true convergence of digital broadcasting and the Internet, Geocast is creating a national data broadcast network that will utilize local broadcaster's digital TV spectrum to send customized rich-media entertainment and information to personal computers. The service will be advertiser-supported and free to the consumer, much like broadcast television itself.In its press conference at CES 2000, Thomson demonstrated its commitment to develop, manufacture and market the Geocast receiver. Already, it has begun work to develop an advanced digital receiver for the Geocast network that will be sold at retail stores and through the RCA.com website. Thomson is the manufacturer and marketer of RCA consumer electronics products.The new RCA-branded Geocast receiver will capture over-the-air digital transmissions and feature an integrated hard disk drive for caching broadcast content. The result will be seamless, high quality playback of rich media content at a moment's notice from home entertainment and information devices. In addition to its product alliance with Geocast, Thomson has also invested $15 million in Geocast. James E. Meyer, Senior Executive Vice President of Thomson Multimedia, will serve as a board member of Geocast Network Systems.While the first product offered will be an attachment to the home PC, Thomson's investment in Geocast signals its intentions to develop the technology as a key capability of future digital television products, thereby dramatically enhancing the home viewing experience.The first product resulting from the Thomson/Geocast alliance will be an affordable, advanced digital RCA-branded Geocast receiver that will come equipped with a hard disk drive and digital TV tuners and links to the computer with a standardized connection. Local broadcasters and national content providers will furnish their own programming to create a local and national service from Geocast.Consistent with the flexible use of digital television spectrum endorsed by Congress and the FCC, the combined work of Thomson and Geocast will create a datacasting service and product that utilizes the new digital TV channels to send content from local broadcasters. Within the framework of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) over-the-air digital TV standard, itself developed through a decade of industry research and cooperation, Geocast will help broadcasters maximize their digital television spectrum investments.""Thomson's investment in Geocast is one more step in the process of building a comprehensive new wireless digital data broadcasting service in the United States that will offer rich content initially for the PC, and soon for other home-based digital devices including digital TV sets and emerging information appliances,"" said Meyer.""In the PC world, the Internet has dramatically changed our economy and personal lives, but its point-to-point architecture was never designed to deliver rich media content to a mass audience. Geocast will change that,"" Geocast Chairman Joe Horowitz said. ""With the combination of Thomson's digital expertise and RCA brand strength - matched with the reach of local broadcasters we have already signed up for Geocast - we can move beyond the Internet to make personalized information and entertainment programming with full-motion video and CD-quality sound instantly available to PC users and, potentially, digital TV receivers.""THOMSON multimedia joins New York-based broadcast group Hearst-Argyle (which owns and/or operates 26 TV stations) and Texas-based broadcast group Belo Corporation (which owns and/or operates 20 TV stations) as an investor in Geocast, which will utilize digital TV spectrum from both companies. With the involvement of Hearst-Argyle and Belo, the Geocast network will already reach nearly one out of three American households. Geocast also recently announced agreements with Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Liberty Media Corp. (NYSE: LMG.A and LMG.B) in which it will receive significant investments and benefit from content relationships.About Thomson MultimediaWith sales over $6 billion in 1998 and 48,000 employees in over 30 countries, Thomson Multimedia (NYSE: TMS) is the fourth largest global supplier of consumer electronics products. The group has four main activities: Displays and Components, Consumer Products, New Media Services, Patents and Licensing. Within its activities Thomson Multimedia develops, manufactures and sells television displays and components, consumer products such as televisions, VCRs, camcorders, audio and communications products, digital decoders, DVD players and professional video equipment. Thomson Multimedia is the parent company of the U.S.-based Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.About Geocast Network Systems, IncWith headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Geocast Network Systems is building a new network that leverages digital broadcast infrastructure to deliver rich-media entertainment and programming to the PC desktop. Geocast is backed by the premier venture firms of Mayfield Fund, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Institutional Venture Partners. In addition, Geocast has developed agreements with leaders in the broadcast, programming and consumer electronics industries. These partnerships include Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., A.H. Belo Corp., Liberty Media Group and Electronic Arts.

Visit Thomson Multimedia on the Web: http://www.thomson-multimedia.com.For more information, visit the Geocast Web site at http://www.geocast.com.