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EXHIBIT 99.1
King World and Sony Pictures Entertainment Settle Pending Litigation;
'Hollywood Squares' Set for a Fall 1998 Launch
NEW YORK, Sept. 16 -- King World Productions, Inc. and Sony Pictures Enter-
tainment today announced that they have settled their pending litigation in
California Superior Court. Under the settlement, King World and Columbia
TriStar Television will produce a new version of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES for
first-run syndication. King World will distribute the program, which will
launch as a five-day-a-week strip for premiere in the Fall of 1998.
``Today, we begin a major, new chapter in our partnership with Sony
Pictures,'' declared King World Vice Chairman & CEO Michael King. ``We have
agreed to bring back one of the most popular, successful and longest-runn-
ing shows in the history of television. HOLLYWOOD SQUARES is a treasure,
and the prospect of producing and distributing a new version of it is
tremendously exciting for us, as I know it will be for the viewing pub-
lic.''
``We're pleased to move forward on HOLLYWOOD SQUARES,'' stated Jon
Feltheimer, President of the Columbia TriStar Television Group and Execu-
tive Vice President of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ``The success we've
enjoyed with WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! has set a benchmark in the
world of game show production and distribution. HOLLYWOOD SQUARES has the
potential of becoming another franchise for our companies.''
King World is the leading worldwide distributor of first-run programming,
including WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY! and THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, the three
highest-rated, first-run strips in syndication. The Company produces and
distributes INSIDE EDITION and AMERICAN JOURNAL, and distributes THE
GERALDO RIVERA SHOW, the MR. FOOD insert and a library of feature films and
television programs. It will also co-produce and distribute THE ROSEANNE
SHOW, which is scheduled to premiere in September 1998. The Company's
barter subsidiary, Camelot Entertainment Sales, Inc., sells national
advertising time in King World and other TV programming. Another subsid-
iary, King World Direct, is a worldwide, full-service, direct marketing
company. WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are produced by Columbia TriStar
Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
is produced by HARPO Productions, Inc. THE GERALDO RIVERA SHOW is produced
by Tribune Entertainment.
Sony Pictures Entertainment's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home
video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities,
development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed
entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com.
EXHIBIT 99.2
King World Signs Three-Year Deals for 'Hollywood Squares' on CBS Owned &
Operated Stations
NEW YORK, Sept. 16 -- On the heels of announcing an agreement with Sony
Pictures Entertainment Inc. to co-produce a new version of HOLLYWOOD
SQUARES for premiere in Fall '98, King World Productions, Inc. (NYSE:KWP),
which is distributing the show, today announced that eleven CBS owned-and-
operated stations, representing 30% of the U.S. (including New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago), have made a three-year commitment to the new produc-
tion for broadcast in the access or fringe time period through the
2000-2001 broadcast season.
King World is the leading worldwide distributor of first-run programming,
including WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY! and THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, the three
highest-rated first-run strips in syndication. The Company produces and
distributes INSIDE EDITION, AMERICAN JOURNAL and distributes THE GERALDO
RIVERA SHOW, the MR. FOOD insert and a library of feature films and
television programs. It will also co-produce and distribute THE ROSEANNE
SHOW, which is scheduled to premiere in September 1998. The Company's
barter subsidiary, Camelot Entertainment Sales, Inc., sells national
advertising time in King World and other TV programming. Another subsid-
iary, King World Direct, is a worldwide, full-service, direct marketing
company. WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are produced by Columbia TriStar
Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
is produced by HARPO Productions, Inc. THE GERALDO RIVERA SHOW is produced
by Tribune Entertainment.
Sony Pictures Entertainment's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home
video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities,
development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed
entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com.