Universal City, California, June 1, 2006 – Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), the award-winning sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of market leader Universal Music Group, today elevated Steve Pritchitt to the position of Executive Vice President & General Manager of Fontana, UMGD’s independent distribution arm. The announcement was made today by Jim Urie, President of UMGD. Mr. Pritchitt formerly served as Fontana’s General Manager.

“Since we launched the company last year, Fontana has achieved incredible success in the marketplace and that success continues to grow with every passing month,” stated Mr. Urie, “Steve has assembled a remarkable team and his talents and expertise have been driving forces behind the company’s achievements. We are very pleased to recognize all of his work with this well-deserved promotion.”

“Fontana is dedicated to serving our labels and their artists by implementing a new structure and new approaches to the independant music business,” added Pritchitt. “By assembling our all star staff and giving them a unique set of tools and analitics, we are dedicated to maximizing the growth of the labels within the Fontana family.”

Since its inception little more than a year ago, Fontana has amassed one of the most diverse and extensive rosters of partner labels in the business, including Vagrant, VP Records, Quango, DRT Entertainment, Hiero Imperium, Mad Science, Rendevous Entertainment, Global Underground and American Gramaphone, among dozens of others. Fontana has already scored hits with such artists as Lil Rob (Upstairs Records), DJ Quik (Mad Science), Sevendust (Winedark Records) and Saves the Day (Vagrant), among others.

Prior to joining Fontana, Pritchitt served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Navarre Entertainment Media. His background also includes stints as Senior Vice President of International for Atlantic Records and Vice President of Business Development and Content Acquisition for eSplice, Inc., a provider for private-label entertainment online stores.

About Fontana

Fontana Distribution, the independent arm of UMGD, provides unparalleled sales and marketing support, as well as back office services, for a diverse roster of labels and their artists. Fontana distributes more than 60 labels including Vagrant Records, VP Records, American Gramophone, Quango, Global Underground, Mad Science Recordings, Angeles Records, Nitro, SMC, Upstairs Records, Warcon and many others. In addition, Fontana distributes select projects from UMG labels worldwide.

About Universal Music Group Distribution

Universal Music Group Distribution has been the industry market share leader for the past seven years and consists of three major divisions: Universal Music Distribution (UMD), Fontana and Visual Entertainment (VE). UMD handles the distribution and sales for such labels as Universal Motown Records Group, Island Def Jam Music Group, Roadrunner, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, MCA Nashville, Universal South, Lost Highway, Mercury Nashville, Verve Music Group, Universal Music Classics Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Music Enterprises, Hip-O, UTV, Univision Music Group, Disa, Machete Music, ABKCO, Hollywood, Lideres Entertainment, Lyric Street, RMM, Thump, Ark 21, Rounder, Fonovisa, Varese Sarabande, Walt Disney, VI Music and Viva Discos. Fontana is the company’s independent sales, marketing and distribution arm, and VE is its home DVD and entertainment division.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world’s largest music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 75 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s largest global music publishing operations.

Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Music Group, Deutsche Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Geffen Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technologies division, and Universal Music Mobile.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company

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