Gaylord Entertainment to Host, Manage Music Hall Channel On Copernicus Interactive Internet Education Portal

Business Wire, Feb 22, 2000

Business Editors

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000

GETdigitalmedia, the Internet division of Gaylord Entertainment Company (NYSE: GET), will be the exclusive channel host for the new Music Hall Channel Homepage on Copernicus Interactive Inc.'s Copernicus Education Gateway, according to both companies. The Copernicus Education Gateway is one of the leading K-12 online Internet portals for education.

GETdigitalmedia, a minority investor in Copernicus, will create and manage the music content and online promotions for the channel, which will be launched next fall at the start of the 2000-2001 academic year. The Copernicus Education Gateway is located at www.edgate.com.

"We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to serve children, parents and educators across the nation. Copernicus harnesses the power of the Internet as a valuable educational tool, and this fits well into our vision of providing quality entertainment that makes a positive difference in people's lives," said Randy McCabe, senior vice president of GETdigitalmedia.

Copernicus serves as the online education gateway for K-12 schools, educators, parents and students. More than 35,000 home pages have been created by teachers for their classes using the Copernicus Education Gateway. Parents, students and teachers can access homework assignments, quizzes, flashcards and other school information anytime, anywhere. The Copernicus Education Gateway currently reaches more than five million students, and an enhanced, customized version is currently being utilized in more than 60 school districts and schools representing more than 3000 school sites across the U.S.

"We are excited to be working with Gaylord Entertainment and GETdigitalmedia," said Larry Roches, president and chief executive officer of Copernicus. "Music is an important part of students' lives and an important part of education. GETdigitalmedia's Music Hall Channel brings additional strength to Copernicus."

Gaylord Entertainment executives noted that arts and music are an integral part of the learning process and that they are eager to develop the Music Hall Channel.

"All types of music will be incorporated into the Music Hall Channel because those accessing it will be from all over the nation," McCabe said. "Part of our plan for the channel is to expose students to many types of music and to facilitate contact with artists. Gaylord Entertainment has direct involvement in or connections to virtually every type of music."

Unlike other online educational services, Copernicus brings together the widest range of resources in a single, targeted online community for a classroom, school or school district. In addition, local school districts can expand and customize core features to include their own information and teaching requirements, provide online courses and coordinate professional development. Through the Copernicus Education Gateway, schools and educators save time, communicate more effectively with parents and the community and achieve a higher return on their technology investment.

More than a dozen partners and alliances already are part of the Copernicus Education Gateway, including Education World; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Flying Rhinoceros; the Mars Millennium Project and its partners, the White House, NASA, the J. Paul Getty Foundation, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the National Endowment for the Arts; the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, which was established by the Department of Education; the Smithsonian Institution; S.T.E.P., an emerging substance abuse prevention program; USA TODAY; and VISA U.S.A. Inc.

Copernicus is a privately held Delaware corporation with its principal office in Chicago, its development and technical support offices in Greensboro, N.C., and sales offices in other major cities.

Gaylord Entertainment Company is a multi-faceted entertainment company whose businesses operate in three groups: hospitality and attractions, creative content and interactive media. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., and its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: GET). Among its properties are WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry, the Opryland Hotel, the Ryman Auditorium, Acuff-Rose Music Publishing, Word Entertainment, Cornerstone Sports, Opryland Productions, WWTN Radio, Musicforce.com, Lightsource.com and Songs.com.