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Blended Learning Program to Help 16 Colleges Meet Changing Workforce Training Needs

November 18, 2003

Carrollton, TX -- PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning, a PRIMEDIA company and the leading provider of integrated learning solutions for more than eight million professionals, announced today that the South Carolina Technical College System will offer PRIMEed training programs as part of its continuing education curriculum. Under the agreement, the 16 technical colleges in the state system will offer the PRIMEed Maintenance Technician Training program as well as the PRIMEed Plant Operations program due for release in early 2004.

Launched earlier this year, PRIMEed helps community and technical colleges serve businesses that are seeking the flexibility and cost savings of Web-based training but need the assurance that employees can demonstrate newly learned skills in hands-on performance evaluations.

"We're delighted to be working with the South Carolina Technical College System," commented William R. Joiner, Vice President and General Manager of the Industrial Services Group of PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning. "Businesses have long relied on community and technical colleges to maintain a skilled, productive workforce. PRIMEed gives these educational institutions an edge in meeting the demands of industrial customers seeking cost effective, on-demand training that their employees can quickly apply on the plant floor."

The South Carolina Technical College System provides a range of training solutions to new and existing industries across the state and has served thousands of businesses during the past 3 decades. Russell W. Darnall, Associate Executive Director of the South Carolina Technical College System, explained: "We see this as a partnership more than selling a product. We leverage the strengths of both organizations to serve our clients. SC Tech System knows the industries and their problems and provides the qualified instructors and assessors for the hands-on labs. PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning brings content, a unique and flexible training approach, 24 hour availability and the ability of workers to get additional training at their own pace."

PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning supplies PRIMEed partner colleges with Web-based courses, study guides and instruction manuals for the hands-on performance evaluations, and a comprehensive learning management system (LMS). Colleges supply the equipment and instructors for the hands-on performance evaluations and manage and administer the program for companies that enroll employees in the PRIMEed program.

The PRIMEed program consists of competency evaluation tests designed to identify individual student's knowledge gaps, Web-based courses available whenever and wherever is convenient for the student, posttests to ensure students understand the training's key concepts, study and instruction guides for the hands-on performance evaluations administered on the college campus, and the PRIMEed LMS which enables colleges to easily manage the training program from enrolling students and scheduling hands-on performance evaluations, to communicating the next step in each student's training program to issuing certificates of completion.

About PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning

PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning, a PRIMEDIA company, is the leading provider of Integrated Learning Solutions for more than eight million professionals in the industrial, healthcare, banking, automotive, fire and emergency, government and law and security markets. PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning's unique offerings include the world's largest satellite-delivered distance learning services; CD-ROM, Web-based and video training programs; and an Internet-enabled learning management system, which better enables corporations and government agencies to manage, track and measure their in-house training efforts. This unparalleled combination of content, custom solutions, technology and "any time/anywhere" delivery represents the state of the art in the fast-growing business-to-business training market. For more details on PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning, visit www.pwpl.com.

About PRIMEDIA

PRIMEDIA is the leading targeted media company in the United States, with positions in consumer and business-to-business markets. Our properties deliver content via print as well as video, the Internet and live events and offer highly effective advertising and marketing solutions in some of the most sought after niche markets. With 2002 sales from continuing businesses of $1.5 billion, PRIMEDIA is the #1 special interest magazine publisher in the U.S. with more than 250 titles. Our well known brands include Motor Trend, Automobile, New York, Fly Fisherman, Power & Motoryacht, Creating Keepsakes, Ward's Auto World, and Registered Rep. The company is also the #1 publisher and distributor of free consumer guides, including Apartment Guides. PRIMEDIA Television's leading brand is the Channel One Network and About is one of the largest sources of original content on the Internet. PRIMEDIA's stock symbol is: NYSE: PRM. More information about the company can be found at www.primedia.com.