Media Vet Stephen Lyons Joins Ascent, Takes Reins of Global Media Exchange

Media Vet Stephen Lyons Joins Ascent, Takes Reins of Global Media Exchange

Former Sony Home Pictures, Columbia Tri Star Home Pictures Exec Will Spearhead Efforts to Bring Buyers, Sellers of Premium Content to New Online Marketplace

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascent Media Group (AMG), a pioneer in transforming the speed and reach of global media distribution, today announced that media veteran Stephen Lyons will join the company as Senior Vice President of Business Development, and will lead efforts to bring buyers and sellers to the newly announced Global Media Exchange platform.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080407/AQM040)

Global Media Exchange will be the first online marketplace to provide content owners and rights holders a platform to sell and distribute film, television, short films and other video content to web publishers, cable outlets, television networks and stations around the world. The company expects to open the marketplace for business later this year.

"Having spent my career creating, developing, and commercializing new distribution channels for content, I couldn't be happier to have this chance to apply my experience and skills to building out this innovative, revolutionary new marketplace," Lyons said. "I look forward to working with the team and the leadership at Ascent."

Lyons was previously Senior Vice President of Business Development at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment where he led all new business and corporate development efforts, distribution strategy development and execution, digital and physical content licensing and distribution agreements, and sales research. He also played a significant role in the company's landmark acquisition of MGM in 2005 and establishing electronic distribution agreements with Wal-Mart.com, Amazon, Netflix, and others.

Prior to his business development role, Lyons served as the Vice President of Sales at Columbia TriStar Home Video where he led the sales and contract negotiations for domestic and international revenue share agreements. While at Columbia, Lyons managed major distribution channels for the film company with partners that included Blockbuster, Hollywood Entertainment, Rogers Entertainment, Hastings, Movie Gallery, and Netflix.

"We could not have found a more talented, better suited executive to lead our efforts to build the industry's first online, global marketplace for buying and selling content," said Jose Royo, CEO of Ascent. "Steve will join a very experienced and motivated team in the GMX group and we're looking forward to his guidance and expertise as we move ahead with this project."

Lyons earned an M.B.A. from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also attended Oxford University in Oxford, England, where he studied economics.

About Ascent Media Group

Santa Monica, California-based Ascent Media Group, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCB) , which through its Creative Services and Networks Services groups, provides creative, digital, technical media services to the media and entertainment industries. Through more than 74 facilities in the regions of Southern California, New York, Atlanta, London and Singapore and at locations throughout the world, Ascent Media provides effective solutions for the creation, management and distribution of content to major motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and other companies that produce, own and/or distribute entertainment, news, sports, corporate, educational, industrial and advertising content.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080407/AQM040
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Ascent Media Group, LLC

CONTACT: Charlene Fitzgibbon, +1-310-403-5589,
charlene@sutherlandgold.com, for Ascent Media Group, LLC

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Profile: International Entertainment