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BANFF Honours A&E Television Networks with Global Television Outstanding Achievement Award 2002

(New York City, USA, November 20, 2001) A&E Television Networks, the award-winning, international media company, will be presented with the prestigious Global Television Outstanding Achievement Award at the 23rd annual Banff Television Festival, June 9 to 14, 2002. Launched in 1984, A&E Television Networks, which include A&E, The History Channel, The Biography Channel and History International, now reach more than 235 million homes in 60 countries and 20 languages.

In making the announcement today at a New York luncheon, Pat Ferns, president and CEO of the Banff Television Foundation praised AETN's impressive contributions to the television industry. "A pioneer and innovator, AETN has a quality presence in television in the United States and internationally. Our Board of Governors recognized their ability to build brands with massive audience acceptance. AETN has produced some of the best television programs in the world with a string of Banff Rockie Awards to prove it."

"I am very pleased to accept the Global Television Outstanding Achievement Award on behalf of all the employees at A&E Television Networks. At AETN, we strive to offer our viewers the best in television programming and this acknowledgement, coming from our peers in the television industry, is a great honor," said Nick Davatzes, president and CEO of A&E Television Networks.

A&E Television Networks offers consumers a diverse communications environment including television programming, magazine publishing, Web sites, books, music CDs, and home videos/DVDs, and supports nationwide educational initiatives. AETN is comprised of A&E Network, The History Channel, The Biography Channel, History International, Biography Magazine, AETN Consumer Products, AETN International and Genealogy.com. A&E Television Networks was the winner of the coveted Governors Award from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in 1999 for The History Channel's Save Our History campaign and in 2000 for A&E's The Biography Project for Schools.

The winner of the Global Television Outstanding Achievement Award is selected annually by the Banff Television Foundation Board of Governors, currently chaired by Trina McQueen, president and chief operating officer of CTV Inc. The award recognizes a body of work over time and is one of the world's preeminent television prizes. It will be presented to A&E Television Networks at a special Tribute Ceremony on Tuesday, June 11 during BANFF 2002. (A complete list of past award-winners is below).

The Banff Television Festival takes place each June in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and is a special gathering place for television broadcasters, program producers and online content creators. Over 60 hours of seminars, plenary sessions, keynote speakers, master classes and pitching opportunities are featured along with the international Banff Rockie Awards program competition honoring the world's best television programs and webcasts. The Festival is the premier event of the Banff Television Foundation, a management organization for some of the world's leading television and new media industry events including the World Congress of History Producers, the World Congress of Science Producers and the Alliance Atlantis Banff Television Executive Program.

Global Television Outstanding Achievement Award Honour Roll

1985 Granada, UK
1986 WDR, Germany
1987 MTM Enterprises, USA
1988 NHK, Japan
1989 TV Globo, Brazil
1990 BBC Natural History Unit, UK
1991 Ted Turner, USA
1992 Dr. Reiner Moritz, Germany
1993 Children's Television Workshop, USA
1994 Société Radio-Canada, Canada
1995 Canal+, France
1996 WGBH Boston, USA
1997 Channel Four Television, UK
1998 BBC Drama, UK
1999 ARTE, France, Germany
2000 SBS Television, Australia
2001 Discovery Communications, Inc., USA