HOPE HARTMAN NAMED VICE PRESIDENT, MEDIA RELATIONS, ABC ENTERTAINMENT

Hope Hartman has been named vice president, Media Relations, ABC Entertainment, it was announced today by Nicole Nichols, senior vice president, Entertainment Communications, Disney-ABC Television Group, to whom she will report. In this role Ms. Hartman will work closely with ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson, overseeing all communications efforts for primetime and late-night programming, including managing programming, corporate, marketing and scheduling-related publicity.

�Hope has great instincts and contacts,� said Ms. Nichols. �Her extensive experience will be integral in leading our strong media relations team.�

Mr. McPherson added: �Media exposure is a key and constant element for a television network. Hope brings a great composure and sense of strategy to our team.�

Previously Ms. Hartman was principal of her own PR firm, Fingers Crossed Communications, where she developed comprehensive communications strategies and media/marketing campaigns for such clients as UCLA, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, ABC Family and ABC Daytime.

Prior to this, Ms. Hartman was the principle communications executive for two of television�s most prominent series -- �Live! With Regis and Kelly� (formerly �Regis and Kathie Lee�) and �Who Wants to Be a Millionaire� -- for The Walt Disney Company�s Buena Vista Productions. During her tenure she managed the national publicity efforts for both shows, and directed personal publicity needs for talent and executive producers.

Ms. Hartman also served as an account supervisor at Ketchum Public Relations, managing key accounts including ExxonMobil, the W.M. Keck Foundation, Price Waterhouse and British Petroleum. She began her career in the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana as an information specialist serving the Indiana Department of Commerce.

Ms. Hartman holds bachelor�s degrees in communications and public policy from Indiana University.