ATLANTA, Aug 5, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Cox Communications today announced it has partnered with CNN to offer schools in Cox communities the latest program in its Line to Learning community outreach series.

Behind the Scenes at CNN: The News You Don't See is an interactive in-class, online, community-based educational program showing high school students how television news works in the 21st century. The program includes an online curriculum, an international distance-learning event and local community events and will be implemented this fall in selected Cox communities around the country.

Thousands of high school students in 23 Cox communities nationwide will participate in classroom-focused and online activities from September through November. The Cox-CNN Line to Learning program can be used in current events, social studies, language arts, science, technology, political science and career-development classes.

"At Cox, we believe it's important to provide students with the most advanced tools to succeed in today's world," said Ellen East, vice president of communications and investor relations for Cox Communications. "With this fall's unique program, we'll help students understand the inner-workings of the mass media and how cable's broadband technology and powerful programming inform societies around the world through the real-time dissemination of news and information. At the same time, we can showcase the educational value of the high-speed Internet service Cox provides free to schools nationwide."

    Educational Materials Linked to National Curriculum Standards

Behind the Scenes at CNN begins Sept. 16, offering classrooms a four-week educational curriculum covering a range of news-related subjects. Students will learn key terms in the media and explore the development of news stories, news research and resources, tools of the trade, the history of reporting, careers in the media and communication and critical thinking.

The classroom materials will be developed by Turner Learning, CNN's educational division, and will be linked to national curriculum standards. Cox will offer training workshops for teachers in participating markets.

On Oct. 24, Cox will deliver an exclusive international distance-learning event, live from the CNN Talk Back Live studio at CNN Center in Atlanta. Using the latest broadband technology to take students behind the scenes at CNN, the event will be delivered via the Internet over Cox's broadband network and will focus on how the news is gathered and reported and the people and technology that make it happen. In each participating Cox market, one selected high school will host the live Web cast.

The distance-learning event begins with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the CNN newsroom, master control and other key areas. Students will then participate in an exclusive interactive question-and-answer session with CNN experts, including anchors, reporters, producers and engineers in the U.S. and around the world.

"The Line to Learning program provides CNN with a great opportunity to partner with Cox Communications," said Jennifer Reichenbach, vice president, national accounts and marketing, TNS. "By combining the strength of Cox's broadband technology with the power of CNN, this year's program reinforces a truly unique and mutually beneficial partnership."

Following the Oct. 24 online event, Cox communities around the nation will hold local community events. Focusing on topical issues selected by each community, these events will be held at schools or community sites.

More than 30,000 students from more than 900 schools have participated in Cox Line to Learning initiatives since 1997. Line to Learning provides unique, interactive educational events, such as art lessons from a Disney animator, virtual field trips to the Smithsonian to study national preservation of the first U.S. flag and exploring careers in the arts under the Big Top with Cirque du Soleil.

Cox Communications (NYSE: COX), a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications company serving approximately 6.3 million customers nationwide. Cox is the nation's fifth-largest cable television provider, and offers both traditional analog video programming under the Cox Cable brand as well as advanced digital video programming under the Cox Digital Cable brand. Cox provides an array of other communications and entertainment services, including local and long distance telephone under the Cox Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access under the brands Cox High Speed Internet and Cox Express; and commercial voice and data services via its affiliate Cox Business Services, LLC. Cox is an investor in programming networks including Discovery Channel. More information about Cox Communications can be accessed on the Internet at www.cox.com.

CNN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner Company, is one of the world's most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to 15 cable and satellite television networks; three private place-based networks; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; 12 Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; and CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service.

Turner Network Sales (TNS), a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is responsible for the sales and marketing of Turner's 11 domestic basic cable networks - TBS Superstation, CNN, CNN Headline News, TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, CNNfn, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, Turner South and Boomerang - to cable and satellite affiliates and special markets throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

CONTACT: Cox Communications, Inc. Laura Oberhelman, 404/269-7562 laura.oberhelman@cox.com or CNN/Turner Learning Mitch Leff, 404/827-0591 mitch.leff@turner.com or Turner Network Sales Leigh Majors, 404/827-3907 leigh.majors@turner.com