ABC STUDIOS WINS THE BANFF WORLD TELEVISION FESTIVAL'S 2008 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Mark Pedowitz to Accept the Honor at the Festival on June 9, 2008

ABC Studios will be presented the Banff World Television Festival's 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award for its high-quality programming and overall contribution to the television industry. Mark Pedowitz, president, ABC Studios, will accept the award on June 9 at the 29th annual festival in Alberta, Canada, and host a keynote session Q&A the following day. This is the first time a U.S. studio has received the prestigious award, and only the ninth acknowledgment for an American entity since the award's inception in 1985.

Chosen by the Banff Television Board of Governor's, ABC Studios was cited for the enormous impact of its innovative programming with breakthrough series like "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Criminal Minds" and "Grey's Anatomy."

"It's an honor for the studio to receive this award," said Mr. Pedowitz, "made even more special by the fact that we're the only American studio ever to be recognized this way. It is incredibly rewarding to be acknowledged for our programming that transcends borders and resonates with audiences worldwide. ABC Studios programming reflects a lot of hard work by a lot of great people, and I'm delighted to accept the award on their behalf."

"The Banff World Television Festival salutes the many outstanding achievements of ABC Studios," says Jennifer Harkness, executive director, BANFF. "They continue to create milestones in their programming and are one of the cornerstones of the industry. It will be a highlight of the event to salute them in front of their many peers at the Festival."

ABC Studios has emerged as a leader in the development, production and strategic distribution of entertainment content across broadcast and cable television and emerging digital platforms. The studio's focused balance of creativity, management and technology yielded 25 diverse productions in the 2007/08 TV season for eight U.S. networks and distributed to broadcasters worldwide. The studio's roster of multi-season network series includes "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," "Brothers & Sisters," "According to Jim," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Private Practice," "Samantha Who?," "Scrubs," "Criminal Minds" and "Ghost Whisperer." The studio continues to make great strides in cable with Lifetime's highest rated series, "Army Wives," ABC Family's hit drama series, "Kyle XY," and the new Steven Bochco drama "Raising the Bar" on TNT. In the fall, the studio will launch its first series in first-run syndication with "Wizard's First Rule," based on Terry Goodkind's bestselling epic fantasy. In addition to its scripted programming, the studio produces ABC's late-night talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Since being named president, ABC Studios, in April 2004 (then Touchstone Television), Mark Pedowitz has overseen the creative and business operations for the studio's most successful seasons, shepherding an impressive slate of programming for network, cable, mobile and broadband outlets. He was instrumental in expanding the studio's brand identity as a haven for filmmakers for both broadcast and cable networks. Mr. Pedowitz's role also includes oversight of music for the Disney-ABC Television Group and of the experimental digital media studio, Stage 9.

"We are thrilled that Mark will be attending both to accept the award and to speak to his expertise in his field," says Ms. Harkness. "His range of experience will provide incredible content for our delegates."

The Banff World Television Festival is a not-for-profit event produced by Achilles Media Ltd., an international events management company serving the television and digital media industries. Achilles Media Ltd. events include: History Makers: International Summit of History & Current Affairs Producers, nextMEDIA events, Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) and NATPE Mobile++. For more information, visit http://www.achillesmedia.com. The Banff World Television Festival takes place June 8-11 amid the spectacular Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada. To register, please visit www.banff2008.com