Reuters and VNU Introduce All-Inclusive Entertainment News Package for Print, Broadcast, Online Media

Business Wire, April 1, 2003

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2003

Reuters (NASDAQ: RTRSY), the global information company, and VNU Business Media, one of the world's leading media and information companies, today launched Reuters/VNU Entertainment News Service, a comprehensive multimedia source for film, television, music, people and entertainment industry news. The package offers charts, pictures and text with exclusive access to "Billboard" charts including national music sales and radio airplay.

Today, Reuters print, broadcast, and online entertainment media subscribers began receiving the best of Reuters and the best of VNU. The package is now powering some of the world's largest Internet services, plus delivery to major newspaper and television services around the globe. Customers receive real-time around the clock coverage of all aspects of show business with instant access to pictures and text from the award shows, the premieres, the gossip and industry chatter.

The Reuters/VNU Entertainment News Service combines Reuters breaking entertainment reporting and award-winning photography with exclusive content from VNU's most requested publications including The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Back Stage.

Rich Sabreen, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Media, said: "We created this relationship with VNU because they share Reuters high journalistic values. Together we will bring clients exclusive content that will help build their distribution and increase circulation. We believe this enhanced service, with the addition of unique content from Billboard, will be the leader in this field and we are pleased to be the Internet distributor of VNU's highly regarded publications."

Mike Marchesano, CEO of VNU Business Media and President of VNU Publications Entertainment Group, said: "VNU offers in-depth coverage of the entertainment industry that is extremely valuable for those who must stay on top of all the latest news and events. We are confident that the combination of VNU content and Reuters reporting, packaging and distribution will result in a winning package for our mutual customers. We are pleased to be Reuters exclusive provider of entertainment content."

Reuters/VNU Entertainment News Service includes real-time top daily entertainment stories, expanded film and television coverage, inside and in-depth industry reporting, enhanced reviews and stage reporting, and premier music coverage that includes access to Billboard's popular charts. The multimedia service can be delivered over the Internet with automatically linked photographs and via XML for added flexibility.

Reuters/VNU Entertainment News Service is also available through Reuters Online Reports, Reuters flagship online report format. Online Reports deliver prioritized, dynamically updated, breaking news that automatically links to pictures, graphics and video. Reuters Online Reports are available for specific regions or countries in multiple languages and can also be packaged by subject matter including Internet, technology, health, sports and science.

Note to editors

Reuters (www.about.reuters.com), the global information company, provides indispensable information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Our information is trusted and drives decision making across the globe based on our reputation for speed, accuracy and independence. We have 16,000 staff in 94 countries, including some 2,400 editorial staff in 197 bureaux serving approximately 130 countries, making Reuters the world's largest international multimedia news agency. In 2002, the Reuters Group had revenues of GBP3.6 billion.

Reuters and the sphere logo are the trademarks of the Reuters group of companies.

VNU Business Media (vnubusinessmedia.com) is a division of VNU, one of the world's leading media and information companies. Its core activities are marketing information, media measurement & information, business information and directories. VNU is active in more than 100 countries, spread across all continents. The company employs approximately 38,000 people and has annual revenues of over EUR 4.3 billion.