ACME Communications Announces New Morning Show; Management Gives the Early Buzz On ACME's Latest Television Project; New Show to Target Young Viewers

Business Wire, August 6, 2002

Business/Entertainment Editors

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2002

ACME Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACME) announced today a television project for the competitive morning landscape. The Daily Buzz, a three-hour live morning news show, will be syndicated to all ACME markets and make its debut this fall on Monday, September 16. The four-anchor program will air from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekdays and will be produced by ACME Television Productions at the studios of WBDT-TV, ACME's WB affiliate in Dayton, Ohio.

The Daily Buzz is the brainstorm of Mr. Doug Gealy, President and Chief Operating Officer of ACME Communications. Mr. Gealy and his management team are focused on creating a morning news program that appeals to a younger demographic. Mr. Gealy believes that younger viewers, particularly those in the 18-49 demographic, have been all but abandoned in the competitive morning news landscape. "So many of the traditional morning news shows skew older," said Mr. Gealy. "This show will be edgier and funnier, while providing news content that is relevant to the younger generation."

The Daily Buzz will include content from CNN news, as well as regular features focused on entertainment, style, money and hi-tech reviews. The show will also feature local weather and local headlines from each of ACME's markets. "The show will definitely be a change of pace for most morning viewers," said Mr. Gealy. "We're giving younger viewers a reason to watch in the mornings and advertisers a new opportunity to reach this audience."

The Daily Buzz will likely roll out in the ACME markets exclusively, but may expand to other markets as early as October. "We have already been approached by several stations and television groups about the show and it is really not surprising given the lack of programming choices available to WB, UPN and even some FOX affiliates in the morning," said Gealy. According to Gealy, most affiliates are running paid programming, tired sitcoms or kid's programming in the morning hours and having a difficult time selling the time period. "Revenue in the mornings is very soft," said Gealy. "If you don't have news, it's really a wasteland." Mr. Gealy said that the show does not have to be a "smash hit" to be successful. "The Daily Buzz won't make us No. 1 out of the gate, but at least we'll be in the game."

About ACME Communications, Inc.

ACME Communications, Inc. owns and operates ten television stations serving markets covering 5.4% of the nation's television households, making the Company the third largest affiliate group of The WB Television Network. The Company's stations are: KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO; KWBP-TV, Portland, OR; KUWB-TV, Salt Lake City, UT; KWBQ-TV and KASY-TV, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM; WBDT-TV, Dayton, OH; WBXX-TV, Knoxville, TN; WIWB-TV, Green Bay-Appleton, WI; WBUI-TV, Champaign- Springfield-Decatur, IL; WTVK-TV, Ft. Myers-Naples, FL. All of the Company's stations, except KASY-TV, a UPN affiliate, are WB Network affiliates. The Company also operates station WHPN, a UPN affiliate serving the Madison, WI, marketplace, under a local marketing agreement in connection with its pending purchase of that station, which is expected to close later this year. ACME Chairman and CEO is also a founder and CEO of The WB Television Network and serves as CEO and Chairman of AOL / Time Warner's Turner TV Networks. ACME's shares are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol: ACME.