LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 1998 (PRIMEZONE) -- PrimeZone Media Network, the nation's newest wire service, officially began operations today with the transmission of its first news release.

Founded by a group of industry professionals, PrimeZone distributes news releases and other information to the media, financial institutions, databases, and online services.

PrimeZone, www.primezone.com, offers a full line of communication services to public relations, investor relations, governmental and financial communities, including the satellite transmission of news releases.

"We are excited to provide professional communicators a dynamic new alternative to disseminating their news," said Tom Madden, chief executive officer of PrimeZone. "We will offer our customers a full range of targeted and customized communication solutions-at a fair and reasonable price. We also will offer the highest level of customer service in the industry."

Headquartered in Los Angeles, PrimeZone also has sales and customer service offices in San Francisco and Dallas. PrimeZone plans to open at least offer four additional offices during the next 18 months.

In addition to the delivery of news releases, PrimeZone will offer a complete line of communications services, including photo transmission and storage, facsimile and electronic mail delivery, specialized services for initial public offerings and investor relations, Internet and web design services.

PrimeZone Media Network's founding partners bring more than three decades of communications and media industry-specific experience coupled with the expertise needed to turn innovative ideas into working systems, designs and products.

Currently, the news release distribution industry is dominated by two companies.

"Investor and public relations professionals told us that an alternative is needed. They want a company with state of the art communications technology and the highest levels of service and dependability possible. We feel outstanding service, coupled with the latest in technology and offered at a fair price is a winning formula," Madden said.

In his role as CEO, Madden is responsible for product development, customer service and sales. A news veteran, Madden served as southern division news editor of United Press International, managing editor of the Gwinnett Daily News, an assistant city editor of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, and a reporter and editor at the Macon, Ga., Telegraph and Warner Robins, Ga., Sun.. He also served as an executive with PR Newswire in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Madden has more than 25 years of news and wire service experience.

Jeff Stacey serves as PrimeZone's president and chief financial officer. Stacey was founding partner, President and CFO of IPO Monitor, an Internet company launched in 1996 to track the initial public offering market. IPO Monitor is considered among the Internet's premier IPO sites http://www.ipomonitor.com.

Prior to starting IPO Monitor, Stacey enjoyed 13 years in the telecommunications industry with increasing levels of responsibility in engineering, sales and management. He has led engineering teams that developed highly complex computer and communications systems at Fortune 500 companies such as ITT Telecom, Siemens, and TRW Space and Electronics.

PrimeZone Media Network is a national wire service specializing in the dissemination of full text news releases to the media, financial press, databases, online services and the Internet. It markets its full line of services to corporate communications, public relations, investor relations, government and financial professionals. Corporate headquarters and central distribution operations are located in Los Angeles, California.