Available Now Exclusively on MSN, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE Delivers Hottest Showbiz Reporting, Interviews, Information, as Only
“ET”
Can
LOS ANGELES/REDMOND, Wash., June 17, 1996 — Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) and Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE (http://ET.MSN.com/), the official Web-site companion to America’s most popular entertainment news series. The dynamic online show incorporates the energy and excitement of the daily broadcasts with the unique interactive opportunities of the Internet. Available now, the site is hosted exclusively on MSN
™, The Microsoft® Network, Microsoft’s Internet online service. To celebrate the launch of ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE, the first Paramount property available on MSN, the site will be accessible to everyone on the Internet at no charge for the first week; after that, it will be available exclusively to MSN members.
“‘Entertainment Tonight’ has a very loyal following from its 15 years on the air, and its enormous popularity lends itself to the infinite growth potential offered by the Internet,”
commented David Wertheimer, president of PDE.
“Not only will MSN subscribers be able to obtain more in-depth industry coverage than the television format allows, but now they can also directly interact with the show and guests.”
Bill Miller, director of marketing for The Microsoft Network division at Microsoft, added,
“We’re delighted to offer our customers exclusive access to ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE, an interesting and informative site where members can learn about their favorite stars, shows, movies and music. We will work closely with ‘ET’ to translate its strength as a major source of entertainment information and recognizable personalities into a strong service and brand on the Internet.”
Updated daily, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE is an engaging Web show that allows fans to explore their favorite features from the television series. Hosts Mary Hart and Bob Goen guide users from the online sound stage through the most popular existing components of
“ET,”
including Headline News, which details breaking stories from Hollywood; star interviews; the Producer’s Desk, a comprehensive entertainment guide announcing each week’s television highlights, movie releases, music titles and new media products; celebrity birthdays, obituaries and tributes; Leonard Maltin’s video recommendations; and weekly Top 10 lists for the hottest movies, TV shows, music, home videos, video games and CD-ROMs.
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE will also feature several new attractions for Web-site visitors. Live online chats with the country’s favorite celebrities will be available, along with contests allowing participants to guess a film’s opening weekend gross (winners are posted in the online
“ET”
Hall of Fame). In addition, frequent polls offer instant national results with information about various entertainment topics and projects, chat rooms provide compelling conversation about Hollywood’s latest offerings, and expanded segments from the TV show will include more in-depth coverage online. The highly recognizable
“ET”
theme music, series logo and celebrity photos are easily accessible Plans for the site’s expansion include celebrity interviews that will incorporate questions from the online audience, and live backstage coverage of movie premieres, television and film production sets and award shows.
In conjunction with
“ET’s”
celebration of its 15th anniversary, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE also provides archival information about the series.
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE was designed and developed by PDE with the assistance of Centric Development, Inc., in Kirkland, Wash.
Formed in May 1995, Paramount Digital Entertainment draws upon Paramount’s rich history in motion pictures and television programming by channeling Paramount’s creative resources into the promotion of Paramount properties, the creation of original online products and the development of a new breed of promotional vehicles for its advertising partners. With direct access to the Paramount Television Group, PDE is able to carry the studio’s 83-year tradition of entertainment excellence into cyberspace. PDE is headquartered in Los Angeles. The Paramount Television Group is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom, Inc.
MSN offers a variety of services that includes access to special-interest bulletin boards; offerings from more than 200 content providers; multimedia reference information; full Internet access, including an e-mail account and access to thousands of newsgroups and the World Wide Web (Web access where available); and up-to-date news and information from the service’s news package, MSN News.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp in the United States and/or other countries.
The Microsoft Network is operated by Microsoft Corp on behalf of Microsoft Network LLC.
