Audi to Sponsor WeatherQuest

    ATLANTA--May 8, 2002--The Weather Channel(R) (TWC), the nation's leading provider of weather information, announces today that Audi of America, Inc. will be the official automotive sponsor of its annual WeatherQuest promotion.
    The integrated promotion includes both on-air and online elements from The Weather Channel cable network and its popular Web site, weather.com. This year, the "quest" gives two lucky TWC viewers the opportunity to travel to Alaska and experience unique weather conditions in the "last frontier." The search for the winning viewer begins on July 1 and the one-hour WeatherQuest special program airs on September 16, highlighting the state's weather patterns and its residents, who often find themselves working in the elements.
    As the WeatherQuest sponsor, Audi gains an opportunity to play an integral role in the WeatherQuest tour--visiting five cities--on a search for weather enthusiasts to enter the contest. The Audi allroad quattro will also be featured in WeatherQuest promotional material, including spots that will run on the cable network.
    Additionally, Audi will sponsor the special WeatherQuest section of weather.com (www.weather.com/weatherquest). The elements featured in the section include Alaskan adventure travel experiences, extreme Alaskan drives and driving tips, information about the WeatherQuest winners and more.
    "WeatherQuest presented us with a unique opportunity to work with a trusted brand to target a strong demographic--active, outdoor enthusiasts," said Mary Ann Wilson, National Advertising Manager for Audi. "We are very excited about this national promotion."
    "Audi was a perfect fit for WeatherQuest," said William Wiehe, executive vice-president of ad sales for The Weather Channel. "The show and the contest are geared toward our viewers and Web visitors who are adventure seekers. We are pleased to offer this relevant and effective opportunity to a quality brand like Audi."
    2002 marks the second consecutive year that the WeatherQuest promotion has been supported by a major advertiser.

    About The Weather Channel

    The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in more than 85 million U.S. households, and 9.2 million households in Latin America. Its Web site, weather.com, attracts over 350 million page views per month, and is consistently ranked among the top TV-related Web sites by Nielsen/NetRatings. TWC also operates The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services, weather.com/espanol, weather.com/brasil, and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and ITV applications, with wireless weather products accessible through high-speed Internet services, phones, pagers, Palm Pilots, and other personal digital assistants. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, Virginia based, privately held media company.

    About Audi

    Audi of America is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and markets a line of performance-oriented European luxury vehicles: the A4, A6, A8, TT and the allroad quattro. Audi has also driven technology with its legendary quattro(R) all-wheel drive and its new multitronic(TM) continuously variable automatic transmission. In 2001, Audi broke its all-time U.S. sales record by selling a total of 83,283 vehicles through its 260 dealerships. Audi's event marketing programs center around the performing arts, lifestyle and sporting events. For more information about additional Audi-related events and corporate news, visit www.audiusa.com.