TELETHON TEAM GEARS UP FOR ONE OF TELEVISION'S BIGGEST EVENTS

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 2, 1999 - Calling upon thousands of hours of production experience with such mega events as the Oscars, the Emmys and the Tonys, a seasoned team of entertainment industry professionals is gathering in Hollywood in preparation for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. For length and star power alone, the fund-raising broadcast to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association can lay claim to being one of television's biggest annual happenings.

The 21½-hour broadcast, which raises tens of millions of dollars each year to support MDA's research and service programs, will air live starting at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 5.

Telethon Executive Producer Robert Ross will oversee the broadcast for the 34th consecutive year. Ross, MDA's senior vice president and executive director, convinced MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis in 1966 that the time was ripe to launch a national MDA Telethon on Labor Day weekend.

Since then, the MDA Telethon, with Lewis firmly ensconced as star, has become an annual American tradition, last year raising a total of $51.6 million and reaching some 75 million viewers in the United States and Canada. In addition, the 1998 Telethon was viewed live through streaming video on the World Wide Web by Internet users in 64 countries.

"For Jerry Lewis and for this outstanding production team, the Telethon is no mere television show, but a labor of the heart," said Ross. "The Telethon continues to be an annual touchstone and source of information and hope for courageous families combating progressive and often fatal neuromuscular diseases."

Lewis, returning from a smash series of 1999 performances in Australia will, for the first time, perform more than a dozen of his legendary comedic routines on the Telethon. "We're going to have more fun than ever this Labor Day," said Lewis who's scheduled to receive the Career Golden Lion Award at the 1999 Venice Film Festival in September.

As perennial star of the annual broadcast for "his kids," Lewis will be working closely with Ross and television veteran Lee Miller to maintain MDA's unparalleled research and patient services programs for the more than a million Americans affected by muscle-wasting diseases. Miller is back for his ninth assignment as Telethon producer. A pioneer in top-quality television specials and feature films, Miller has more than 1,200 hours of programming to his credit, including the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys, and top-rated series and specials featuring stars ranging from Garth Brooks to Cher.

Bringing his own record of experience in live television work is Glenn Weiss, serving for the third time as Telethon director. Weiss, who directs as many as 20 specials a year, includes among his directorial credits "Miss Universe 1999," the Kids' Choice Awards, Farm Aid 1997, NATO's 50th Anniversary and the new "Donny & Marie" talk show.

Ron Weed, executive in charge of Telethon production for the ninth year, has handled similar challenges for many television award shows and specials. Weed's credits include the Golden Globe Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Soap Opera Awards and special events for Sea World and Busch Gardens.

Telethon Coordinator Gerald C. Weinberg, who is also MDA's director of field organization and an MDA national vice president, will be working hard to ensure that hundreds of elements that contribute to the broadcast's success, some on stage and some behind the scenes, are seamlessly integrated throughout.

Eddie Foy III brings more than 30 years of experience as a casting director to his role as the Telethon's national talent executive. Foy's credits include work with Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, the Disney Channel, ABC and NBC.

Rounding off the team will be the Emmy-winning veteran of classic television fare such as "The Dick Van Dyke Show," Telethon creative consultant Sam Denoff.

The Telethon will feature appearances by scores of top-flight celebrities from the worlds of music, comedy, theater, magic, dance, film and sports. It will originate from CBS Television City in Hollywood and include live satellite feeds and special segments from locales such as New York and Chicago.

Over the years, the Telethon has played host to a cornucopia of famous names, from Jerry Seinfeld to Henny Youngman, from Frank Sinatra to M.C. Hammer, from U.S. presidents to three former Beatles.

Lewis' stated goal for each Telethon is to raise one dollar more than the previous year. Soon after the conclusion of the 1999 broadcast, Lewis and the Telethon team will convene to begin planning the next Telethon.

MDA's Telethon can be seen on a "Love Network" of almost 200 stations across the country. Viewers can check local listings for stations and starting times.

For the first year, the Telethon will be seen worldwide in a live multilingual Internet presentation transmitted simultaneously in English, Spanish and Japanese. The multilingual Webcast, on MDA's Web site at www.mda.org, is being supported by MDA national sponsors RealNetworks, CyraCom International and AT&T.

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat 40 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health information. The Association's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.

MDA and Jerry Lewis have been honored by the American Medical Association with Lifetime Achievement Awards "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity."