A&E Television Networks, Hearst Interactive Media, Mattel, and Top Private Equity Firms Form Genealogy.com, LLC

Proven Technology Leader in Genealogy Secures Nearly $38 Million in Funding with Backing From Major Media Corporations

November 2, 1999 (FREMONT, CALIFORNIA) — A&E Television Networks, Hearst Interactive Media, Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT), Thomas H. Lee Partners and Weston Presidio Capital today announced a joint partnership to back a newly formed company called Genealogy.com, LLC. Formerly the Broderbund genealogy unit of Mattel, Genealogy.com received $37.5 million in initial funding and expects to extend its position and expand the genealogy technology business through a more aggressive online presence and by continuing its leadership in the retail software category.

"Genealogy is one of the leading subjects on the Internet — in August, 1999, there were more than two million unique unduplicated visitors to genealogy web sites . With the financial and organizational backing of our new partners, we will not only continue to be a leader in the existing genealogy business, but we'll have the ability to substantially expand this rapidly-growing segment by reaching millions of consumers with an interest in their heritage and giving them the online tools to explore their personal history," said Rob Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of Genealogy.com. "To achieve this goal, we will utilize our strong history of more than 10 years of leadership in the genealogy technology space with Family Tree Maker software, Family Archive CDs, FamilyTreeMaker.com, and Genealogy.com."

Genealogy.com is already a powerhouse in the genealogy arena with three established business units (software, online resources, CD-ROMs). The Company's evolution to an Internet-focused company will be expedited by its ability to leverage established and profitable software and data CD-ROM products. For example, the Company's subscription-based site encompassing genealogy research materials and databases, www.GenealogyLibrary.com, is set to become the premier online genealogy research site with the addition of information from the Company's Family Archive CD collection, ranging from passenger and immigration lists to census records and more. Already this year, the organization has won numerous industry awards, including the Software Information Industry Association's 1999 "Codie Award" for Best Internet Commerce Site, and Top 100 Website and Editor's Choice awards from PC Magazine. The Company's flagship retail software program, the number-one-selling Family Tree Maker, has sold well over two million copies to date. This installed base combines with hundreds of thousands of additional genealogy enthusiasts to form a thriving online community of people -- more than one million unique unduplicated users visit Genealogy.com's genealogy web sites every month, spending hours searching for data and exchanging information and advice with each other.

"The Genealogy.com organization has long been a leader in its category," said Nickolas Davatzes, President & CEO, A&E Television Networks. "We believe that there is a huge potential market of people with an interest in family history, as evidenced by the popularity of our Biography^® series on A&E Networks, and the success of The History Channel^®. This strong new partnership will provide opportunities to capitalize on the growing genealogy technology marketplace through the power of television, at the same time enabling Genealogy.com to invest in further enhancing its core competencies through the power of the Internet."

The partners will contribute expertise in their respective categories to benefit Genealogy.com. A&E Television Networks' investment will provide significant on-air promotion to educate its viewers on the benefits of using the Internet to explore family heritage. Mattel is offering its expertise in online and software technology through the Broderbund division, which is a leader in family-oriented software. This is part of a broader strategy by which Mattel is utilizing its software assets to become a major online participant.

A&E Television Networks, a joint venture of The Hearst Corporation, ABC, Inc. and NBC, is an award-winning, international media company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television programming, magazine publishing, web sites, music, to home videos, as well as supporting nationwide educational initiatives. Television programming consists of four networks in the United States: A&E Network, The History Channel^®, The Biography Channel^TM, and History Channel International^TM. Internationally, A&E Television Networks is involved in a series of networks in 60 countries. The A&E Web site is located at www.AETV.com; BIOGRAPHY^® at www.biography.com; and The History Channel^® at www.historychannel.com.

The additional partners are backing Genealogy.com with financial investments. Hearst Interactive Media, a unit of The Hearst Corporation, manages a wide variety of consumer and business-related Internet sites and has made core investments in Internet-related companies including Women.com, brandwise.com, and GoodHome.com. Other strategic equity investments include E Ink Corporation, Exodus Communications, Medscape, Quokka Sports, StarMedia Network, Talk City, and Tavolo (formerly Digital Chef). Thomas H. Lee Partners, with more than $6 billion of capital under management, offers its highly regarded experience in building market-leading brands such as Snapple, Rayovac, Experian, and Broderbund. Weston Presidio Capital, with $900 million under management, brings its experience in building traditional retail and Internet companies including Restoration Hardware, Medscape, Tavolo, Vitria Technology, and MapQuest.

Genealogy.com, formerly the Broderbund genealogy unit of Mattel, is based in Fremont, California and has 90 employees. A decade-long leader in the genealogy technology space, Genealogy.com's family history information and resources are available on the corporate Web site at www.genealogy.com, with subscription services available at www.genealogylibrary.com. All of its award-winning products and services are offered online and through direct sales; its software programs are also distributed at retail by the Broderbund Software Unit of Mattel.

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