SLEUTH ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION DEALS WITH DIRECTV AND ECHOSTAR

SLEUTH ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION DEALS WITH DIRECTV AND ECHOSTAR

Additional Carriage Agreements with Time Warner Cable and Knology, Among Others Put Sleuth in more than 22 million homes by Summer 2006

Englewood Cliffs, NJ - January 12, 2006 - NBC Universal Cable Entertainment's new crime/mystery/suspense network, Sleuth, will launch on satellite TV providers, DIRECTV this Spring and on EchoStar's DISH Network by Summer 2006, the announcement was made today by David Zaslav, President NBCU Cable and Jeff Gaspin, President NBCU Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy.

Sleuth, the 24-hour channel -- dedicated to the crime, mystery and suspense genres debuted January 1 to more than 5 million subscribers through previous distribution deals with Time Warner Cable, Knology and others, bringing the network's distribution to more than 22 million homes by Summer 2006.

"The major support from our distributors out of the box for Sleuth is reflective of the popularity of the crime/mystery genre," commented Zaslav. "Our research and discussions with our affiliates showed us that this was a network that they would be interested in and this recent announcement demonstrates that. We appreciate the support of our affiliates."

"We had a number of goals when we began discussing the launch of a crime, suspense and mystery channel - to create something special for viewers who love this popular and enduring genre, to utilize our extensive library of great crime dramas and to offer a channel that cable operators would embrace, said Gaspin. We are thrilled to be achieving these goals and in a position where Sleuth can be seen in more than twenty-two million homes."

SLEUTH is the first network to offer a digital triple pack service, which features a standard definition digital channel (SD), hi-definition simulcast channel (HD), and a video-on-demand (VOD) channel offered as a digital bundle. The SD digital channel launched on January 1, 2006, with the VOD and HD offerings available later in 2006.

About SLEUTH
SLEUTH, an NBC Universal Cable digital suite of networks launched in first quarter 2006, is the premier entertainment cable channel dedicated to the popular crime/mystery/suspense genre, 24/7. SLEUTH features exclusive crime and mystery programming from NBC Universal's extensive collection of feature films, classic television shows, reality series and documentaries, from "Miami Vice" and "Homicide" to "Scarface" and "Casino." The unique Sleuth digital suite will include video on demand (VOD) content and a high-definition (HD) simulcast. To uncover more, visit: www.sleuthchannel.com.

About NBC Universal Cable
NBC Universal Cable, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's preeminent media companies, drives the company's cable strategic development and growth including video-on-demand, pay-per-view, HDTV and retransmission consent, and oversees the cable distribution, marketing and local ad sales of fourteen properties (Bravo, CNBC, CNBC World, MSNBC, mun2, NBC Weather Plus, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo, Telemundo Puerto Rico, Universal HD, USA and the Olympics on cable). NBC Universal Cable also directs and manages the company's cable and new media investments including A&E, The History Channel, History Channel International, The Biography Channel, National Geographic International, the Sundance Channel and Tivo.