The New York Times Broadcast Group and New York Times Digital today announced their hosting of an online conversation with the NASA Space Shuttle mission. The New York Times Company properties were selected from hundreds of media requests made to NASA to cover this event. John Herrington, an Oklahoma member of the Chickasaw Nation, is the first Native American astronaut to enter.....The New York Times Company Broadcast Group and New York Times Digital Announce Online Conversation With Space Shuttle Mission; First Native American in Space to Participate

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 2002--The New York Times Broadcast Group and New York Times Digital today announced their hosting of an online conversation with the NASA Space Shuttle mission. The New York Times Company properties were selected from hundreds of media requests made to NASA to cover this event. John Herrington, an Oklahoma member of the Chickasaw Nation, is the first Native American astronaut to enter into space and will participate in the online conversation. The in-flight event is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (all times E.S.T.) on Wednesday, November 27 and will run approximately six minutes.

"The ability to bring this unique multi-media event to our audience is thrilling," said Cynthia Augustine, president of The New York Times Company Broadcast Group. "Viewers will be able to participate in an in-flight, online conversation with the first Native American in space and join additional online conversations with Mr. Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, and former NASA astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr."

"Hosting this online conversation with the NASA Space Shuttle crew is a great thrill for us and offers our users a wonderful educational experience," said Martin Nisenholtz, chief executive officer of New York Times Digital. "It's just the kind of thing we created our Web sites to do."

"One of our core missions is to inspire the next generation of explorers," said Bob Jacobs, NASA's media services director in Washington, D.C. "One way to accomplish this important goal is to use the emerging digital technologies and this online conversation is a unique opportunity to extend NASA's message."

The eleventh Shuttle trip to the International Space Station, code-named STS-113, launched yesterday from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An hour-long online conversation will take place on Wednesday, November 27 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. The in-flight conversation with Mission Specialist Herrington will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. and end at approximately 4:06 p.m. It will be preceded by an online conversation with Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, and followed by an online conversation with former NASA astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr., a veteran of four space flights.

The online conversation will be hosted by the Times Company Broadcast Group's television station KFOR and its Web site www.KFOR.com in Oklahoma City. KFOR.com will moderate the online conversation and handle communications with NASA's veteran Space Shuttle program host, Cris Guidi. KFOR-TV news anchor Kevin Ogle will converse with John Herrington through a satellite feed and pose the online conversation questions to him. John Herrington will reply to the online questions via satellite feed to KFOR's news anchor and his replies will be transcribed to participating New York Times sites through KFOR's site.

Online audiences can visit the following Times Company Web sites to join the live conversation:

www.NYTimes.com/forums in New York

www.Boston.com in Boston

www.KFOR.com in Oklahoma City, Okla.

www.KFSM.com in Fort Smith, Ark.

www.WHNT.com in Huntsville, Ala.

www.WHOTV.com in Des Moines, Iowa

www.WNEP.com in Moosic, Pa.

www.WQAD.com in Moline, Ill.

www.WREG.com in Memphis, Tenn.

www.WTKR.com in Norfolk, Va.

www.TheLedger.com in Lakeland, Fla.

www.HeraldTribune.com in Sarasota, Fla.

www.DailyComet.com in Thibodaux, La.

www.HoumaToday.com in Houma, Ala.

www.GoupState.com in Spartanburg, S.C.

www.GainesvilleSun.com in Gainesville, Fla.

More information on STS-113 is available at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov and http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/STS-113/SPK_sts-113.pdf. Information on Mission Specialist Herrington is available at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/crew/intherrington.html.

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2001 revenues of $3.0 billion, publishes The New York Times, The Boston Globe and 16 other newspapers; owns eight network-affiliated television stations and two New York radio stations; and has more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. In 2002 the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's list of America's Most Admired Companies. Among all 530 companies on the list, the Company ranked No. 1 in quality of products/services and No. 1 in social responsibility. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.