AXN Preview Channel

Media Release 30 June 1998

AXN gives Asia a piece of the action on new free preview channel

AXN Action TV, Asia’s first and only all action and adventure cable and satellite television channel, has launched a special preview channel to give cable operators throughout Asia a sample of AXN’s 24-hour, action-packed programming.

Chief Executive Officer of AXN, Mr James Buklarewicz, said the free AXN Preview Channel featured sneak previews from AXN Action TV's television series, movies, animation and sports, as well as on-air promotions to let people know what the channel is all about.

In order to deliver AXN to viewers, cable operators will need a DVB compliant MPEG-2 digital receiver (free-to-air digital receiver) to access the preview channel. Technical specifications are:

AXN is the first channel of its kind in Asia and has been created to satisfy the enormous appetite for action and adventure programming across the region. A division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, AXN gives viewers non-stop, edge-of-your-seat action and adventure programming with top Hollywood, Asian and international programming," said Mr Buklarewicz.

Research has shown that action programs form the most popular entertainment genre in the world. AXN will satisfy viewers' appetites for action-packed programming with an exciting line-up of top quality action product," he said.

AXN is already available to about five million households throughout Asia including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, in hotels within China, recently Bangladesh and soon Sri Lanka. AXN's distribution to Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan viewers precedes its next important move into the subcontinent, with a launch in India planned at the end of 1998. A launch in South Korea is also scheduled for 1998. A separate AXN channel in Japan has been launched in the coming weeks, marking the channel’s first move towards worldwide distribution.

AXN is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures' global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries worldwide. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com

Media enquiries:

Lorna Swinstead Public Relations Manager Phone: +65-260-6078 Fax: +65-781-5839 Email: Lorna_Swinstead@spe.sony.com