France 3 Chooses Thomson to Modernize National Master Control Operation Facility

Business Wire, April 10, 2003

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

NAB2003

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003

French Network Will Centralize Operations with Multiple Profile

XP Media Platform Systems to Streamline Handling of

Program and Commercial Material

Major French broadcaster France 3 has made the transition to a server-based infrastructure for its new state-of-the-art national master control room with four Grass Valley PVS 1000 Profile(R) XP Media Platform standard-definition (SD) servers from Thomson (NYSE:TMS)(Euronext Paris:18453). As part of a multi-million Euro deal, the equipment will be installed at the network's national facility in Paris and immediately help it streamline the handling of program and commercial material.

Once the new playout system is installed by Thomson, the France 3 master control room will be able to access files stored on the Profile servers from anywhere inside the facility via a high-speed Fibre Channel network, allowing greater than real-time transfer speeds and the capability to play a clip on-air while it is being digitized onto the network. Two PVS 1000 servers will be used for ingest and system monitoring while two will distribute programs directly to air.

Through this global turnkey contract, France 3 and Thomson are thus strengthening their long-term partnership, as evidenced by numerous broadcast cameras, digital production switchers, and Venus(TM) routers. This contract comes in addition to those recently signed with U.S television stations and reinforces the Group's positioning to benefit from the growing digital studio equipment markets.

"We chose Thomson because they provided us with an innovative technical solution that can grow with us as the need arises," said Jean-Claude Morin, Chief Technical Officer of France 3. "Also, we have complete confidence in the Thomson Systems team's experience and expertise in integrating cost-effective solutions that include seamless interfaces to third-party archiving, automation, and robotics companies. This is a key point because this new Grass Valley equipment has to be integrated into our existing production environment without any disruptions to our on-air program."

"We are very proud that FR3 has chosen to rely on Thomson for this strategic project, the implementation of its new master control operations facility, based upon our new generation of servers" said Marc Valentin, Vice President, Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions.

Certain statements in this press release, including any discussion of management expectations for future periods, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to changes in global economic and business conditions, consumer electronics markets, and regulatory factors. More detailed information on the potential factors that could affect the financial results of Thomson is contained in Thomson's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Thomson

With sales of 10.2 billion Euros (U.S. $ 9.6 billion) in 2002, Thomson (NYSE:TMS)(Euronext Paris:18453) provides a wide range of video (and enabling) technologies, systems, finished products and services to consumers and professionals in the entertainment and media industries. To advance and enable the digital media transition, Thomson has four principal divisions: Content and Networks, Consumer Products, Components, and Licensing. The company distributes its products under the Technicolor, Grass Valley, THOMSON and RCA brand names. For more information: http://www.thomson.net/

As part of Thomson Digital Media Solutions division, the Broadcast and Media Solutions activity delivers products and solutions for broadcast and TV/Film professionals under its Grass Valley brand. These open, integrated digital products that work together along the entire digital video chain to support a variety of workflows, from content capture and acquisition through production, post production, and transmission. With a proven track record in broadcast, including 17 Emmy(R) and multiple industry awards, it offers an award-winning, robust product portfolio that touches more high-quality content than any other; product and systems expertise that has yielded hundreds of patents and a number of industry standards; and worldwide software engineering expertise and customer support teams that are second to none.

For information about Grass Valley products from Thomson please visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.

About The Products

The Grass Valley PVS 1000 Profile XP Media Platform provides up to eight independent channels of SD MPEG 4:2:2 I/O functionality or 16 or 32 channels of uncompressed or compressed audio, while enabling files to be played out directly or edited and manipulated as footage is being downloaded onto a high-speed production network. This ability saves considerable time during production while also helping to get stories on-air faster. It also allows a collaborative workflow that can facilitate the timely creation of several similar yet different versions of the same material, resulting in more high-quality programs that increase revenue. The PVS 1000 Profile XP Media Platform server is fully upgradeable to high-definition operation.