VTV: Varsity Television Announces Winners for First National Golden V Awards Sponsored by Prodigy; High School Students Create Their Own Internet-Television Network

Business Wire, June 5, 2001

Business Editors; High-Tech, T.V. and Entertainment Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--June 5, 2001

Move over Steven Spielberg and Katie Couric.

The work of a new class of aspiring teen journalists and film producers is about to hit the airwaves and the Internet. Recognized as best in class, 12 winning videos tackling tough social issues, such as AIDS, violence and smoking, produced by high school teens from across the nation, are being honored in the first national Golden V awards.

VTV: Varsity Television(tm), America's High School Network, today announced with Prodigy Communications (Nasdaq:PRGY) the first-ever winners of the Golden V Awards sponsored by Prodigy. The awards recognize videos in 12 subject categories, including the Spirit of VTV Award, which recognizes the school that best exemplifies the mission of VTV: Varsity Television, and the Founders Award, which honors the high school that helped ignite the VTV: Varsity Television phenomenon.

Chosen by a panel of VTV producers and executives, the winning school in each category receives a trophy, banner, certificates and a $500 scholarship. The winners of the first Golden V Awards sponsored by Prodigy are:

        --  Best Animation: "The Mattress" - Created by Janmeja Heir,
            Jon Ostrem and Ryan McCoy of Natomas Charter High School,
            Sacramento, Calif.

        --  Best Film: "Orb" - Directed by Nick Castaneda of Lakewood
            High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.

        --  Best Public Service Announcement: "Got Smoke?" - Houston
            School of Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

        --  Best Comedy: "Chess Club" - Lincoln High School, Council
            Bluffs, Iowa

        --  Best Role Model: "Teen Telethon" - WAVM, Maynard High
            School, Maynard, Mass.

        --  Best News Story: "You Didn't Hear the Birds Sing" - HTV
            News, Hillcrest High School, Springfield, Mo.

        --  Best School Broadcast: KGLE Teen News - Allen High School,
            Allen, Texas

        --  Best Music Video: "The Nephilim" - AFI, Centennial High
            School, Roswell, Ga.

        --  Best Garage Band Performance: "Popcorn" - Band: Clown,
            Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center,
            Virginia Beach, Va.

        --  Best Theater Production (Musical, Comedy or Drama): "Don't
            Drink the Water" - Whiteland High School, Whiteland, Ind.

        --  Best Class: "Space Technology" - Lincoln High School,
            Gahanna, Ohio

        --  Best Sports Story: "Should He Play?" - Mountlake Terrace
            High School, Seattle

        --  The Spirit of VTV Award: Granite Bay High School, Granite
            Bay, Calif.

        --  The Founders Award: Lincoln High School, Gahanna, Ohio

Streaming videos of all winners and nominees are featured at www.myvtv.com via a special "Golden V Awards Nominees" page hosted by Prodigy. An hour-long, taped awards ceremony will be featured in a Web cast at www.myvtv.com on Thursday, June 7, at noon CST. An online archive of the broadcast also will be available. In addition, the show will air nationally on educational access channels reaching more than 10 million homes. The attached list provides local channels and show times.

VTV: Varsity Television was launched on the Internet in August 2000 to showcase videos produced by high school teens, for high school teens. In the past year VTV has received more than 3,000 videos from high schools across the country. Prodigy, one of America's leading Internet service providers that provides high-speed broadband Internet services, has partnered with VTV to host the VTV Web site and to archive VTV video content.

"VTV: Varsity Television, which is both online and offline through television, has been a huge hit among high school teens because it combines the power of youth with technology," says Joe Shults, VTV CEO. "For the first time, teens can decide what they want to see and hear about other high-school teens and put it on online with VTV and on Varsity Television for each other to see. The Golden V Awards recognize the best of the videos produced by today's youth, as well as recognizes the teens that have helped create America's High School Network."

As the national sponsor of the Golden V Awards, Prodigy was proud to recognize today's "prodigies" who represent tomorrow's stars.

"Prodigy is recognized as an Internet innovator given it was the nation's first consumer online service provider, so it is only fitting that we recognize today's young people who are driving 'new' ways to use the Internet," said Paul Roth, Prodigy CEO. "Broadband Internet, a major focus for Prodigy, is high-speed, always-on and this changes significantly how people will use the Internet. With broadband Internet, VTV is the entertainment and information place for today's youth to be."

About VTV:Varsity Television (www.myvtv.com)

VTV:Varsity Television is a privately held company with offices in Austin, Texas. The company was co-founded by Joe Shults, who serves as its CEO, and Kelly Hoffman, who serves as chairman. VTV:Varsity Television is the world's leading online and on-air television network exclusively dedicated to empowering, entertaining, informing and inspiring high school students with positive content that is real and relevant.