Audi Renews Sponsorship of New York Times Gay/Lesbian Speaker Series for Third Year; Increases Commitment to Eight TimesTalks Events in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco Throughout 2004

NEW YORK--March 17, 2004--The New York Times announced today that Audi of America, Inc. will become the official automotive sponsor of the TimesTalks gay/lesbian speaker series for 2004. This is the third consecutive year Audi has sponsored the series, which this year will expand to eight events, up from six events in previous years. Four of the 2004 TimesTalks will take place in New York and two each in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The first of these TimesTalks events, "The Meaning of 'The L Word,'" will be held in New York City on Sunday March 21, from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. as part of the 11th annual New York Lesbian and Gay Business and Entertainment Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. New York Times Ideas editor Patricia Cohen will moderate a panel discussion exploring the impact of the groundbreaking new Showtime television series about the lesbian community. Scheduled panelists include Ilene Chaiken, the show's executive producer; Leisha Hailey and Mia Kirshner, two of its stars; Stephanie Gibbons, senior vice president, advertising and promotion for Showtime Networks; and Stacey D'Erasmo, novelist.

Additional events in the series will take place throughout the year in partnership with organizations including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York, the James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library, the 28th San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and OUTFEST 2004: the 22nd Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Upcoming events will be announced periodically throughout the year in the pages of The New York Times. For further information, call the TimesTalks hotline at 888-NYT-1870; to add your name to the general TimesTalks e-mail list, e-mail timestalks@nytimes.com.

"We are gratified that Audi not only renewed, but actually increased its commitment to the TimesTalks gay/lesbian series at a time when there are so many issues of vital importance to this community," said Alyse Myers, vice president of marketing services at The New York Times.

"The unique nature of our TimesTalks sponsorship perfectly reflects Audi's 'Never follow' spirit," said Mary Ann Wilson, national advertising manager for Audi of America. "We look forward to another year of substantive discussion and sophisticated conversations with the gay and lesbian community nationwide."

The TimesTalks gay/lesbian speaker series was introduced in New York City in spring 1999. Since then, large and enthusiastic audiences have heard New York Times political correspondent Adam Nagourney trace the growth of the gay rights movement, New York Times Job Market columnist Lisa Belkin discuss the pros and cons of being out at work; and one-on-one conversations with Tony Award-winning Broadway actors Harvey Fierstein and Cherry Jones, to name a few events in the series.

About The New York Times

The New York Times Company , a leading media company with 2003 revenues of $3.2 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 16 other newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. For the fourth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2004 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

About Audi

Audi of America is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and markets performance-oriented European luxury vehicles: the A4, A4 Cabriolet, A6, A8 L, TT and the allroad quattro. For more information about additional Audi-related events and corporate news, visit www.audiusa.com.

This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com and www.nytimes-community.com