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Exhibit 99
CONTACTS: Robert S. Yingling, CFO
BigStar Entertainment, Inc.
(212) 981-6311
[email protected]
Gary S. Maier/Angie H. Yang
Pondel/Wilkinson Group
(310) 207-9300
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BIGSTAR ENTERTAINMENT STRENGTHENS ITS ADVAYA DIRECT
MARKETING DIVISION WITH KEY EXECUTIVES
COMPANY APPOINTS FREDERIC BIEN AS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, ED CATTO AS VICE
PRESIDENT MARKETING AND MATTHEW DAVIS AS HEAD OF PRODUCTION
NEW YORK -- June 2, 2000 -- BigStar Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: BGST)
today announced the promotion of three executives to strengthen its Advaya
direct marketing division.
Frederic V. Bien has been promoted to chief technology officer for both
BigStar Entertainment and the direct marketing systems division of BigStar,
Advaya.
Bien joined BigStar Entertainment in November 1999 and served as vice
president of marketing technology. He is the founder and chief executive officer
of Belamo Corp., the producer and marketer of the FLIRT.com Web site. Over 2
million women between the ages of 18 to 34 accessed FLIRT.com in 1999.
From 1993 to 1997, Bien founded and was CEO of Bien Logic Inc., an
Internet software company that developed multimedia software for Paramount
Publishing, Franklin Electronic Publishers and Apple Computer. Bien Logic also
developed and marketed the Web traffic analysis software SurfReport and
ProxyReport and served customers such as Netscape, Oracle, Wal-Mart, ANS, Xerox,
Hewlett-Packard and the Smithsonian Institute. Bien Logic was sold to Netrics
Inc. in October 1997.
Bien received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1986, was assistant professor at Princeton University from 1986 to
1992,
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BigStar Entertainment, Inc.
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and was a tenured associate professor of mathematics at the University of
California-San Diego from 1992 to 1996.
Ed Catto, vice president marketing at bigstar.com, will assume
responsibility for both the Advaya and BigStar marketing departments. Catto
joined BigStar Entertainment in October 1999. Previously, he managed marketing
practice areas at Computer Science Corporation, a promotional marketing company
servicing Fortune 500 consumer and manufacturing companies. Catto's marketing
experience includes positions with Nabisco and Lever Bros., where he worked on
brands such as OREO, Lever 2000, Chips Ahoy!, Snackwells, and Snuggle. He earned
an M.B.A. at the University of North Carolina and received his B.A. from Cornell
University.
The company also announced the appointment of Matthew Davis as head of
production for both BigStar and Advaya. Davis joined BigStar as director of
production at bigstar.com in March 1999. Before joining BigStar, Davis held the
position of production manager at barnesandnoble.com. Davis received his B.A.
from Amherst College in 1988 and a Master's degree in professional studies from
the interactive telecommunications program at New York University in 1997.
The company also announced the resignations of Brooke Bessert, Donna
Williams and Anthony Witek to pursue other interests.
"The personnel changes represent BigStar's increased emphasis on
Advaya, its advanced direct marketing software system. This business was
launched April 20 and represents the continuation of the company's core
philosophy that online marketing is direct marketing.
"Over the last two years, the company has developed sophisticated
direct marketing software, based on java and standardized database schema, that
creates highly targeted and effective direct marketing messaging for third
parties. The company has signed contracts to deploy this software and host the
data for six clients currently and is focused on significantly developing this
business.
"All of us at BigStar appreciate the many contributions of Brooke,
Donna and Anthony and we wish them well in their new endeavors," stated David
Friedensohn, chairman and chief executive officer.
BigStar Entertainment, Inc. (http://www.bigstar.com) is a leading
online Shop-A-Tainment destination that is exclusively dedicated to filmed
entertainment products. BigStar sells videos and digital video discs (DVDs).
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BigStar Entertainment, Inc.
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Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995: BigStar Entertainment, Inc. has included in this press release certain
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning BigStar's business, operations and
financial condition. The words or phrases "can be", "expects", "may affect",
"may depend", "believes", "estimate", "project" and similar words and phrases
are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties and
BigStar cautions you that any forward-looking information provided by or on
behalf of BigStar is not a guarantee of future performance. Actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements due
to a number of factors, some of which are beyond BigStar's control, in addition
to those discussed in BigStar's other press releases, public filings and
statements by BigStar's management, including (i) the volatile and competitive
nature of the Internet industry, (ii) changes in domestic and foreign economic
and market conditions, (iii) the effect of federal, state and foreign regulation
on BigStar's business, and (iv) the effect of any future acquisitions. All such
forward-looking statements are current only as of the date on which such
statements were made. BigStar does not undertake any obligation to publicly
update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after
the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.
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