European Founders Include CNET Networks, Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, Group Financial Times, IDM/La Vanguardia Digital, International Herald Tribune, Khatimerini, Le Monde interactif, Le Temps, Prisacom/El Pais and Spiegel Online

NEW YORK, NY -- March 6, 2003 -- The Online Publishers Association (OPA) announced today that ten leading European publishers have come together to form OPA Europe, an extension of the association to the European community. Founding members of OPA Europe are: CNET Networks (Europe), Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (Italy), Group Financial Times (Great Britain and France), IDM/La Vanguardia Digital (Spain), International Herald Tribune (Europe), Khatimerini (Greece), Le Monde interactif (France), Le Temps (Switzerland), Prisacom/El Pais (Spain) and Spiegel Online (Germany).

"Many of the challenges for quality online content providers transcend international borders," said Michael Zimbalist, executive director of the U.S.-based Online Publishers Association. "We look forward to extending the mission of the OPA through the formation of OPA Europe."

Established in June 2001 by some of the Internet's leading content brands, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is an industry trade organization representing high-quality online publishers throughout the U.S. Through credible research and ongoing communications, OPA seeks to establish and promote the Internet as an effective advertising medium for marketers and a sustainable media business for publishers, thereby ensuring the continued availability of quality content to serve the public good.

Martin Nisenholtz, chairman of the OPA Board in the U.S., said: "The quality of OPA Europe's founding members is a testament to the commitment of the European community to creating a unified voice and a sustainable business for quality content publishers internationally. We look forward to sharing our growing body of research with our colleagues in OPA Europe."

Like its U.S. counterpart, OPA Europe will focus its efforts on enhancing the business climate for quality publishers by producing credible research into online advertising and media consumption, benchmarking, sharing key learnings and best practices with one another, and serving as the voice of quality online content providers to key constituencies throughout Europe.

Over the past year and a half, the U.S.-based Online Publishers Association has published major research reports, including the OPA Media Consumption Study (January 2002), quarterly Paid Online Content U.S. Market Spending Reports, a series of advertising effectiveness studies and several research papers intended to provide marketers with a better understanding of audience measurement and the role of various metrics in evaluating a site's advertising potential.

OPA Europe will have access to the association's research, methodologies, and publications to adapt to the business conditions unique to Europe.

Bruno Patino, CEO of Le Monde interactif, was elected president of the OPA Europe Board. Mathias Muller von Blumencron, managing editor at Spiegel Online, will serve as vice president. Didier Brun, senior executive at the International Herald Tribune, will serve as secretary general and Julien Jacob, managing director of CNET Networks France, will serve as treasurer. The Online Publishers Association and OPA Europe will share joint Board representation.

For more information about becoming a member of OPA Europe, please contact Helene Fromen at fromen@lemonde.fr or visit the Online Publishers Association Web site at www.online-publishers.org.

About the Online Publishers Association

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA member sites have a combined, unduplicated reach of 99.1 million U.S. visitors, or 69% of the total U.S. Internet audience (Source: comScore Media Metrix, January 2003 combined home/work/university data). For more information about the Online Publishers Association, visit www.online-publishers.org.

CONTACT:
Lisa Carparelli
Online Publishers Association
(917) 743-4537
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