THEDEAL.COM ROLLS OUT NEW FEATURES TO INCREASE ITS SUBSCRIPTION-BASED OFFERINGS

As The Deal's Web site builds its Web-exclusive content, it adds breaking news e-mail alerts to better serve its growing audience of dealmakers worldwide

October 2, 2002--New York, N.Y.--TheDeal.com is unveiling several editorial enhancements and features throughout the week as it shifts to a primarily paid subscription Web site.

In releasing the next phase of TheDeal.com, the media company The Deal, LLC, is once again demonstrating its commitment to its electronic media business. Recognized as the only online hub serving the deal community, TheDeal.com has enjoyed steady registered user growth, increasing by 40% month-over-month since the site instituted basic registration last May.

An annual subscription to TheDeal.com costs $189, and gives users full access to breaking e-mail alerts and daily news updated throughout the day, Web-only columns, The Deal's commentary, special reports and archives. Among the advantages shared by TheDeal.com users is the ability to obtain previews to the stories that appear in The Daily Deal newspaper the next day or the articles and columns running in the company's new magazine debuting later this fall, The Deal, every week. A subscription to any of four deal-specific e-newsletters - Deal Wire, Bankruptcy Wire, Private Capital Wire and Euro Dealwire - will remain free.

"TheDeal.com provides a wealth of insight and information on the full range of financial transactions to dealmakers located around the world. Its steady growth speaks to its popularity and valuable content," said Kevin Worth, president and publisher of The Deal. "The editorial enhancements strengthen our ability to serve up relevant and timely information that members of the deal community have come to rely on."

TheDeal.com's new editorial features are part of its ongoing effort to provide quality coverage of the ever-changing deal landscape:
• Bankruptcy M&A - Comprehensive information on bankrupt companies that have either been recently bought or are currently on the auction block.
• On The Cheap - A select listing of companies that are attractive takeover candidates, complete with detailed management biographies and company acquisition history.
• Shareholder Lawsuit Tracker - Full, in-depth coverage of the numerous IPO class-actions as they are being settled in court.
• Deals Interrupted - A closer look at notable deals that have gone awry, and that will miss their original closing date.
• Private Capital People - An expanded version of our weekly update on changes in the Private Capital world, including vital firm information and personnel bios.
TheDeal.com was also recently redesigned to offer an expanded range of editorial content with an easier-to-navigate interface.
These improvements included:
• Expanded deal statistics, including the latest league tables, fees and multiples and bankruptcy data.
• Extended regional news from Europe and Asia and more breaking news updates throughout the day.
• The Deal Ticker, a new feature that quickly serves up the latest deal news and arbitrage reports.
• Deal Interactive, a new way to deliver audio, video and text of top deal headlines to a computer, PDA or phone.

The upgraded Web site also provides highly targeted advertising opportunities through channel sponsorships, online tombstones, customized splash pages or e-newsletter ads in any of four daily e-mail publications.

"The Deal is the only media company dedicated to linking together the shared information needs of the corporate and financial professionals who orchestrate, advise and participate in deals around the globe. These powerful and sophisticated readers are action-oriented and buy a range of professional services, technology products and luxury goods, making them a very attractive audience for online advertisers looking to brand or sell," said Worth.

About The Deal LLC
The Deal, LLC is the leading media company charting the deal economy for dealmakers worldwide. The company provides original news reporting, financial data and commentary on a full spectrum of global transactions and the personalities and politics of dealmakers behind the deals. Through The Daily Deal and TheDeal.com, as well as e-newsletters, newsletters and special reports, The Deal, LLC addresses the information needs of the deal community composed of corporate executives, entrepreneurs, institutional investors, financial intermediaries and advisers. Investors in The Deal, LLC, a privately held company, include majority owner U.S. Equity Partners, a private investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and Rustic Canyon Ventures, one of the largest venture capital funds in Southern California.