The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw move to Sonic Broadcaster for the Next Three Years; NBC Confirms That Jay Leno's Ties Never Looked Better

Business Wire, March 27, 2001

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2001

Sonic Telecom, Ltd., the first company to deploy a global fiber optic network designed for video transmission, announced today that its Sonic Broadcaster (sm) service will carry the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.

Sonic was awarded the three-year contract because of the superior transmission quality and economy that its network delivers.

"The combination of Sonic's leading-edge global data services and managed network with Broadwing's all-optical switched long haul backbone creates a `category-killer' that enables broadcasters to migrate their most critical, quality-sensitive traffic away from satellites and toward a full-time fiber transport," said Rick Ellenberger, president and CEO of Broadwing Inc. (NYSE:BRW).

General Electric's (NYSE:GE) NBC subsidiary is the latest to sign up for transport on the network that is quickly gaining market share from Loral Skynet, AT&T (NYSE:T) and Williams Communications' (NYSE:WCG) Vyvx subsidiary. With the addition of NBC, Sonic now carries broadcast quality traffic for every major broadcaster in the USA as well as Europe's largest independent broadcaster.

"The decision to use Sonic was very easy to make, the asymmetrical transport pricing, alone was enough to use Sonic Broadcaster, but seeing that Jay Leno's ties actually look better over Sonic's network clinched it for us" stated Leslie J. Fein, Manager, Sourcing Projects for NBC Broadcast & Network Operations.

Todd Ruelle, President and CEO of Sonic Telecom added, "The broadcasting community was quick to recognize the superior quality of our digital service. NBC will benefit significantly from the savings and clarity that Sonic Broadcaster delivers."

About NBC

NBC is a global media company with broadly diverse holdings. In the United States, NBC owns and operates the NBC Television Network, thirteen television stations and CNBC, operates MSNBC in partnership with Microsoft, and maintains equity interests in a wide array of entertainment and sports cable channels and ValueVision International.

NBC is the leader among traditional media companies in Internet and new media business and owns 47 percent of NBC Internet Inc. (NBCi). NBC also holds equity stakes in a wide range of new media companies and operates CNBC/Dow Jones Business Video with Microsoft and Dow Jones.

Internationally, NBC owns and operates CNBC: A Service of NBC and Dow Jones in partnership with Dow Jones & Company in Europe and Asia. In partnership with National Geographic and Fox/BSkyB, the network owns and operates the National Geographic Channel in Europe and Asia.

About Broadwing

Broadwing Inc. (NYSE:BRW) combines unparalleled customer service with the industry's most advanced and flexible 18,500-mile next-generation fiber optic network and award-winning IP backbone, to create data and internet solutions that are innovative, reliable, and provide businesses a competitive advantage.

Broadwing will be the first provider with a fully deployed optical network and sets the standard for customer accountability with the industry's only Installation Guarantee. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Austin, Texas, with 6,000 employees in 56 sales and service offices across the country, Broadwing can be found on the web at www.broadwing.com.

About Sonic Telecom

Privately-held Sonic Telecom provides global data services and end-to-end managed networks.

The Company has over 100 points of presence on its international ATM digital network that ensures Quality of Service for IP and access, transport and termination for multimedia transmissions. Broadwing Communications (NYSE:BRW), General DataComm (NYSE:GDC), MasTec, Inc. (NYSE:MTZ), Saudi Cable Company and Viatel Inc. (NASDAQ:VYTL) are strategic investors in the Company.

For additional information about Sonic Telecom, Ltd. Visit www.sonictelecom.com.