Politics.com Appoints Marc Jacobson President and COO; Former Prodigy Exec, Web Advocate to Lead Internet Company Dedicated to Politics

Business Wire, Sept 9, 1999

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 1999--

Politics.com (OTC BB:POCO), the new company poised to become a leader in bringing politics to the people through the power and ease of the Internet, today announced the appointment of former Prodigy executive Marc Jacobson as president and chief operating officer.

Previously, Jacobson was senior vice president of corporate development and public policy at Prodigy Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGY), a leading national Internet Service Provider. He brings to Politics.com strong expertise in Internet business development, strategic planning and corporate finance.

"Politics.com is fortunate to have attracted such a creative and prominent figure in the Internet industry," said Politics.com founder and Board Chairman, Howard Baer. "Marc is a skilled business builder, whose energetic leadership and commitment should drive Politics.com to become the preeminent Web site for people interested in local, state and national politics. He brings public markets expertise that is important to our long- and short-term success, and we are confident that he will add further value in strengthening Politics.com's strategic direction and positioning."

A leading advocate for the growth of the Internet, Jacobson currently chairs the advisory board for the Internet Alliance (IA), a Washington-based trade association. The IA counts among its members America's foremost technology companies, including America Online (NYSE:AOL), AT&T Corp. (NYSE:T), IBM (NYSE:IBM), and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT).

"The 2000 election year offers an excellent platform from which to launch the only Internet site dedicated exclusively to politics. Media and Internet experts predict the Internet will become a major force in politics during the next century. Our mission is to put Politics.com at the center of this new political revolution," said Jacobson.

At Prodigy since 1995, Jacobson served in a number of critical roles, including acting chief financial officer, general counsel and corporate secretary. This year, he played a major role in completing the company's $168 million initial public offering, and in 1996, he successfully represented management in the management-led/investor-backed buyout from Sears (NYSE:S) and IBM.

Before joining Prodigy, Jacobson was a respected New York City entertainment attorney in private practice. He is the founding chairman of the New York State Bar Association's section on entertainment, arts and sports law and is an advisory board member of the New York Infotech Forum.

"We congratulate Politics.com on their choice of president," said Samer Salameh, chairman of Prodigy's board of directors. "Marc was a valuable member of our team and a tremendous contributor to our company's growth and strategic development. He has a deep knowledge of the evolution of the online and Internet services business. Politics.com is fortunate to have acquired a seasoned and respected professional, and we wish him and his new company well."

On the eve of Election 2000, Jacobson takes the Politics.com helm at a pivotal juncture in the Internet's transformation of the American political experience. In October, Politics.com expects to unveil its Web site, which will be dedicated to providing nonpartisan, comprehensive U.S. political information and analysis.

Among many unique features to be offered, www.politics.com will provide political race updates, real-time polling data, candidate profiles, campaign contribution tracking, a political resource directory and a variety of news services.

"Our mission is to bring politics back to the people, to increase every American's influence over the entire political process and to make politicians' ideas and platforms more accessible to the voters, resulting in more direct participation," said Jacobson.

About Politics.com

Politics.com (OTC BB:POCO) is a publicly traded, emerging company with plans to become a global Internet media company that offers a unique, branded network of information, communication and entertainment, all with the common theme of politics.

Politics.com is focused on making politics more accessible to the public and increasing the impact individuals can have on the political process.

This release may contain forward-looking statements, made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties that might cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

Potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the following: Politics.com may encounter difficulty in developing its website; it may have difficulty raising the capital it needs to develop and market its website; the Internet may not attract the degree of political advertising that Politics.com expects; Politics.com may have difficulty competing with other advertising medium, including other Internet companies; the development and introduction of competing or superior web portals; market awareness and acceptance of the Politics.com portal; changes in government regulation affecting Politics.com's planned business; and overall market demand for Internet services.