GUS JOHNSON JOINS SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING AS HOST AND PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER;Longtime Host Steve Albert Will Have a Continuing Role on the Series

NEW YORK- Dynamic play-by-play broadcast veteran Gus Johnson of CBS Sports signed with Showtime Networks Inc. to host and call the action on the premium network’s flagship sports series SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, it was announced today by Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Showtime Sports & Event Programming.

Johnson replaces Steve Albert, who has served as the play-by-play voice of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING since 1987. Johnson will work alongside color analyst Al Bernstein on the monthly series.

"SHOWTIME has been on fire for several years—televising some of the most important and evenly matched world title fights in boxing, breaking ground by televising mixed martial arts and adding INSIDE THE NFL to the line up," said Johnson, who has called boxing for CBS Sports and Madison Square Garden Network. "I am thrilled to join the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team. And as a division of CBS, my work with SHOWTIME will be complementary to that of CBS Sports.”

Johnson will make his SHOWTIME debut on the first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast of 2009 – live on Feb. 7 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) – when the hard-hitting and outspoken Super Flyweight World Champion Vic Darchinyan faces dangerous Mexican champion Jorge Arce, in what is expected to be a thrilling, all-action title fight.
“Gus brings incredible energy and a fresh approach to every broadcast,” said Hershman. “He has the ability to match the intensity of the moment and there are few moments in sports more intense than a hard-fought boxing match. Gus and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING are the perfect match.”

Albert, who will remain with SHOWTIME Sports and fill in for Johnson when his CBS Sports schedule conflicts, said: “I never imagined that when I called my first fight on SHOWTIME back in 1987 that I‘d still be announcing boxing today. But after 21 years at SHOWTIME, 25 years all told in the sport, I thought it was finally time to pull back. I am happy to remain a part of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and also excited to be in the process of pursuing other interests.”

Johnson has served CBS Sports as play-by-play announcer for its coverage of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship since 1995, the National Football League since 1998 and CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS in 2008, among others. He will continue as an active member of the CBS Sports broadcast team.

Johnson is a practicing mixed martial artist who studies Shing Yi Kung Fu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing.

“Having worked with the likes of Gil Clancy, Tony Paige and Steve Farhood, calling the New York City Golden Gloves and the Broadway Boxing series has prepared me for this tremendous opportunity with SHOWTIME,” said Johnson. “And to work alongside Al Bernstein will be a tremendous honor. I have admired Al’s work for so many years dating back to his time at ESPN. He is a boxing historian, a boxing purist and a true fan. Above all, he is a great broadcaster. I think I will learn a lot working with Al.”

“We welcome Gus to the SHOWTIME family,” said David Dinkins Jr., executive producer, SHOWTIME Sports. “When I first worked with him at the 1998 Olympics Games, I was immediately impressed with his talent and unabashed enthusiasm. He brings those same skills to every event he broadcasts. Gus is a longtime fan of combat sports which adds to his presentation of boxing and MMA.”

GUS JOHNSON

Johnson's credits at CBS Sports also include play-by-play for college football, track and field, the Hambletonian, and bobsled and luge at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. He serves as host of AT THE HALF®, CBS Sports' college basketball halftime studio show, and SPORTSDESK, CBS Sports' wraparound studio show.

Johnson also is the radio voice of the NBA's New York Knicks and has provided play-by-play for the Madison Square Garden Network's coverage of the WNBA's New York Liberty. He has provided commentary for MSGN’s coverage of the New York City Golden Gloves Tournament.

Johnson also calls college basketball games on the Big 10 Network and has called play-by-play for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, Big East Basketball on the Big East Network, college basketball on ESPN and the Canadian Football League on ESPN2. Prior to joining MSGN, he hosted "Black College Sports Today" on ESPN and was the weekend anchor for WTTG-TV Washington, D.C. (1991-92).

Johnson has a degree in political science from Howard University where he played four years of Division I baseball as a catcher and outfielder. He lives in New York and has one son.

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Nick Charles To Be Honored By Boxing Writers Association‏

SHOWTIME BOXING ANNOUNCER NICK CHARLES TO RECEIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
FROM BOXING WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, MAY 1, 2008, IN LOS ANGELES

NEW YORK– Nick Charles, who serves as host and play-by-play announcer for the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, will receive the prestigious Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcast journalism at the 83rd Annual Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 1, 2008, in Los Angeles.

The lifetime achievement award, now bestowed upon all four boxing announcers serving SHOWTIME Sports telecasts (Steve Albert, Al Bernstein for Championship Boxing and analyst Steve Farhood for ShoBox), is sweet for the broadcast veteran.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to receive the lifetime achievement award,” said Charles, an Atlanta resident who is known for his accurate, colorful and refreshing delivery. “It means a lot when the Boxing Writers Association of America looks at your entire body of work and decides that you deserve to be recognized for it.”

If you tuned in to CNN during the 1980s and 90s, chances are you saw Nick Charles. Hired to help launch the network in 1980, Charles won three Cable Ace Awards as co-host of CNN’s “Sports Tonite.”

During his time with the news network, Charles covered some of the all-time greatest boxers in many of their greatest fights, including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya.

“In the early years of CNN, we had such a can-do attitude,” Charles said. “It was new horizons, un-chartered waters. Ultimately, not only did we not drown, we sailed around the world.

“They had me camp out in Miami after Roberto Duran’s ‘No Mas’ fight until I got an interview. They sent me to Japan to see Buster Douglas knock Tyson on his butt. I was in camp with Hearns in Detroit and at home with Hagler. Through the years, I witnessed boxing history.”

In 2001, SHOWTIME tabbed Charles as its blow-by-blow announcer for the new boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation, which features up-and-coming fighters in tough match-ups in all boxing divisions. Thus far, Charles and his partner Farhood have called the action for nearly every ShoBox telecast since its inception—nearly 125 shows and 250 fights. In that time, Charles has witnessed many fighters advance from prospect to contender; from contender to world champion.

“You know little about these guys except that they better have a blazing desire to succeed,” Charles said. “The fighters have no entourages, and we do not feature ring walks. It is just boxing where two guys are matched tough, and it is a question of who moves forward and who falls back. That is the central theme of every ShoBox.”

With Charles and Farhood at the helm, ShoBox has found a niche with boxing fans and sports enthusiasts.

“Nick is a highly respected sports commentator who has traveled to more than 50 countries and covered all of the major sports stories for the last 25 years,” said Gordon Hall, SHOWTIME vice president and executive producer of ShoBox. “He brings a vast knowledge of boxing and great passion to each telecast. He is a true professional who brings out the best in those around him.”

Charles says the match-ups are what make ShoBox so intriguing.

“We usually have these young undefeated fighters who have never lost, and other times these guys who cannot afford to lose again,” Charles said. “It is all about acclaim and redemption, risk and reward. Ultimately, in this series, people’s careers have either taken off or have ended.”

The well-traveled journalist has worked as a site reporter and host for six Olympics, five Goodwill Games and the Pan-Am Games in Havana, Cuba.

“Nick's love for boxing, and specifically for ShoBox, makes every show special," said Farhood. "He's the ultimate professional, and his enthusiasm never wanes. If you ask Nick, he'll tell you he's lucky to have boxing. But if you ask me, boxing is lucky to have Nick."

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit our website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV