25th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS EDITION OF THE �BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL� TO AIR MARCH 1 ON ABC

Barbara Walters� 25th annual Academy Awards special will air on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET on the last night of sweeps. The highly-rated special will air five days prior to the Awards presentation, as the Academy Awards are scheduled to begin 30 minutes earlier than in years past. Previously Ms. Walters� special aired prior to the Awards on the East Coast and following the Awards on the West Coast.

�I am very pleased that the special will be seen across the country at the same time of night. And being seen earlier in the week gives us much more flexibility than in the past in terms of guests,� said Ms. Walters.

�We�ve been wanting to expand the celebration of the Oscars for some time, and moving Barbara�s special to Wednesday as part of our strategy for the February Sweep makes it the true national kick-off event for the Awards broadcast,� said Steve McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment. �Her specials are always star studded and glamorous -- now they�ll signal that even more is on the way.�

The list of celebrities included in the special will be announced shortly.

The �Barbara Walters Special� is a Barwall Production. The special is produced and directed by Bill Geddie.