SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Interactive Media (CIM) announced
today it has brought one of its acclaimed interactive studios to one of the
most exciting cities in the West -- San Diego.  The vibrant new studio will
serve as an interactive community for San Diego Internet users.  The primary
purpose behind CIM's San Diego Studio is to link community members and provide
current, localized information for the diverse population's needs, interests
and activities.  The San Diego Studio joins CIM's interactive line-up which
reaches coast to coast, including Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco, Orlando,
Miami and West Palm Beach.  CIM will open over 20 new interactive studios
across the country in 1997.
    A veteran of high-tech marketing and the news media, Mark Forster is
leading the San Diego Studio into cyberspace.
    Prior to joining CIM, Forster was director of marketing for 3Com
Corporation's network access division.  As marketing manager for two other
San Diego entrepreneurial companies, he was instrumental in successfully
developing and launching new technology products.  Before entering the high-
technology field, Forster spent more than six years as a staff writer for The
Los Angeles Times.
    "The San Diego area is a perfect match for Cox Interactive Media.  The
large online community in the city will benefit from CIM's ability to provide
them a unique, tailored experience," said Peter Winter, president of Cox
Interactive Media, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.  "We look forward to
partnering with other Cox-owned media in the area to create sites
characterized by a 'locals-only' flavor with dynamic and robust content in a
functional format."
    William K. Geppert, vice president and general manager of Cox
Communications, Inc. in San Diego, is ready to lend his support to CIM's
plans.  "As the online arena continues to grow, it is vital that Cox
Communications works in concert with CIM to ensure that the San Diego
community has access to the best information on the Web about our city," said
Geppert.  "With radio, newspapers, broadcast television, cable, and now, the
Internet, consumers can find the best content, style, and value from the
entire Cox media family."
    Forster is ready to bring CIM online in San Diego.  "This interactive
studio is going to produce content better than anything else on the Web
today," said Forster. "The opportunity to work with Cox Communications, Inc.
gives us an immediate boost in the market.  We will also be working closely
with the Cox@Home cable modem group to develop local content for the broadband
service and with Channel 4 to provide a Web presence for its coverage of local
San Diego events, including the broadcasts of San Diego Padres games and San
Diego State University football and basketball," he said.
    Cox Interactive Media (http://www.cimedia.com), a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises,
Inc., has created local city sites, such as AccessAtlanta.com
(http://www.accessatlanta.com) and Austin360.com (http://www.austin360.com).  These city
sites provide users specific information unique to their communities as well
as opportunities for online interaction with other users through community
bulletin boards and chat rooms.  Specialty sites like FASTBALL.com
(http://www.fastball.com) and Y'all.com (http://www.yall.com) have also been established to
focus on specific topics which have regional or national appeal.  Through the
advent of studios like the one established in San Diego, CIM will provide
vital interactive links between local, national and worldwide communities.
    A leading media company, Cox Enterprises, Inc. includes Cox Newspapers,
Inc. (newspapers, direct mail marketing, book publishing), Cox Broadcasting,
Inc. (TV, spot sales, television production, research, publicly traded Cox
Radio, Inc.) and publicly traded Cox Communications, Inc. (cable distribution,
programming, broadband communications) in addition to Cox Interactive Media.
The company is the world's largest operator of automobile auctions through
Manheim Auctions, providing financial services, government auctions, online
services and price guides.

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