THE NEW YORK TIMES AND “JEOPARDY!” ANNOUNCE INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION
Press Release
Newspaper to Feature the “Jeopardy!” “Clue of the Day”
TV Show to Conduct Contestant Tryouts at The New York Times
Travel Show in Feb.
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2006 – The New York Times and “Jeopardy!” announced today a unique agreement between the paper and the nation’s number one-rated quiz show. Beginning today, The Times will offer a “Jeopardy!” Clue of the Day, in which readers will be given a clue, with the correct response available on that day’s “Jeopardy!” show or in the next day’s issue of The New York Times. The Clue of the Day will appear adjacent to the “Tomorrow in The Times” box Monday through Friday and on Sunday near the “Information Directory,” and will also be available online at nytimes.com/games.
As part of the agreement, The Times will be included periodically as a category on the television program. “The New York Times has long been considered a preeminent source of information for the nation and the world,” said Harry Friedman, Executive Producer of “Jeopardy!” “This relationship allows ‘Jeopardy!’ to present some of The Times’s information in a fun and different way.”
The show’s Brain Bus, staffed by the “Jeopardy!” Clue Crew, will appear Feb. 25 from
10a.m. until noon at the New York Times Travel Show, held at the Javits Center in New York City. A category called “All The News That’s Fit to Print,” about news articles and features of The New York Times, will be part of the simulated game played at the event. Clues in that category will come from various sections of the newspaper.
The “Jeopardy!” Brain Bus is a specially outfitted Winnebago that tours nationwide, conducting talent searches for possible contestants while providing visitors to the bus the experience and excitement of the “Jeopardy!” game.
The third annual New York Times Travel Show will feature nearly 500 exhibitors focusing on travel destinations and packages, as well as tour operators and cruise lines. Several pavilions on the show floor will focus on different regions of the world including Africa, Asia, Australia/South Pacific, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico/Central America and South America. For further information, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/travelshow.
“Jeopardy!” is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company and is distributed domestically by King World Productions Inc. The series is also distributed internationally by CBS Paramount International Television.
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2005 revenues of $3.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. For the fifth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune’s 2005 list of America’s Most Admired Companies. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.Contacts: Diane McNulty, 212-556-5244; Email: mcnuldc@nytimes.comPat Eisemann, 212-556-8719; Email: eisemp@nytimes.comJeff Ritter, 310-244-8855; Email: jeff_ritter@spe.sony.comThis press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com and www.nytco.com/community
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MDLF launches world's first investment product to support free press
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006 - New York – Media Development Loan Fund, a New York nonprofit organization providing low-cost financing to independent news businesses in emerging democracies, has launched Free Press Investment Notes, the world's first investment vehicle to support independent media in developing countries.
This innovative financial product in the nonprofit world will allow individuals and institutions to invest as little as $1,000, while selecting their interest rate (0, 1, 2, 2.5 or 3 per cent) and the length of their investment (1, 3, 5, 7 or 10 years).
"This is the first time the general public can invest in the development of the independent press in emerging democracies," said Sasa Vucinic, Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF) Managing Director. "Funds invested in Free Press Investment Notes will provide crucial financing for independent news companies in places like Guatemala, South Africa and Indonesia, helping brave journalists build sustainable businesses that are able to hold governments to account, expose corruption and fight for justice for all."
Free Press Investment Notes, the brain-child of Mr. Vucinic, is a financial tool designed to address the press freedom deficit in the world. Mr. Vucinic said: “Obviously there are plenty of investors willing to finance the U.S. budget deficit for returns of 7 to 8 per cent per year. I am convinced that there is an even bigger number of individual and socially responsible investors eager to invest in press freedom and, in addition to social benefits created, earn up to 3 per cent interest on their investment.”
MDLF financing is typically used to invest in printing presses, new TV and radio transmitters and broadcasting equipment, helping independent news outlets reach more people, generate more revenue and stay clear of government monopolies. It is often the only way an independent media company can access the capital it needs to strengthen and expand while staying free from state control or vested interests.
Funds raised will be allocated to a revolving loan pool that recycles repayments, enabling them to be used over and over to support independent news media around the world. MDLF supports each loan with intensive financial monitoring, management training and technology assistance. In its 10-year history, MDLF has provided over $40 million in affordable financing to almost 50 media companies in 17 countries, with loan losses of only 2 percent.
"The needs are immense," said Mr. Vucinic. "More than 80 percent of people live in countries without a free press. In other words, more than 5 billion people can't trust what they read in the newspaper, hear on the radio or see on TV, and do not really know what is happening in their own country."
Individuals and corporations in New York, California, the District of Columbia and 21 other U.S. states can buy Free Press Investment Notes, with registration pending in many more states. Designed as a flexible means for social investing, the Free Press Investment Notes program lets buyers choose the term of their investment – between 1 and 10 years – and the interest rate, ranging from 0 percent to 3 percent. And unlike any other product, investors can also expect a high rate of social return from helping remarkable journalists play a key role in building truly democratic societies.
Free Press Investment Notes currently may be purchased by residents of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.
Free Press Investment Notes are administered by Calvert Foundation, which has more than 10 years' experience of managing community investment schemes. Investment kits and prospectuses can be ordered from Calvert Foundation, P.O. Box 30622, Bethesda, MD 20824-9912, or by telephoning 1-800-239-5911.
Although Free Press Investment Notes are not federally insured, they benefit from credit enhancements including portfolio diversification, rigorous due diligence, portfolio monitoring and MDLF's 10 years of experience. And MDLF backs its entire portfolio with a generous loan loss provision and net assets of more than $15 million.
MDLF, founded in 1995, pioneered a new model of media support, focused on developing self-sustainable independent media outlets.
From 1996 to 30 June 2005, MDLF has:· financed 80 projects, for 47 independent media companies, in 17 countries;· provided $42.5 million in low-cost financing;· collected $13.4 million in principal repayments;· collected $3.5 million in interest and dividends;· written off as losses only 2% of the total loaned and invested;· ended June 2005 with a $28.5 million portfolio of outstanding loans and investments.
Inquiries to: United States: Harlan M. Mandel, Deputy Managing Director, MDLF, 37 West 20th Street, Suite 801, New York, NY 10011. Phone: (212) 807 1304. Email harlan.mandel@mdlf.org.
United Kingdom: Peter Whitehead, MDLF Director of Communications, 45 Carr Lane, York, YO26 5HT. Phone: (44) (0)7763 175 332. Email peter.whitehead@mdlf.org.Website: www.mdlf.org.
