Future Publishing Acquires CSL Media Ltd

Future Network PLC
7 April 2000


     FUTURE  ACQUIRES DEVELOPER OF DIGITAL MARKETING PRODUCTS
                                 
CSL Media, a leading supplier of electronic marketing materials to
    the PC and video games industry, has been bought by Future
                          Publishing Ltd.

The  Future  Network  plc  (LSE: FNET),  the  specialist  consumer
magazines  and  websites publisher, today announces  that  its  UK
subsidiary  Future Publishing Ltd has acquired CSL  Media  Ltd,  a
developer  and publisher of digital marketing materials using  PC,
Sony PlayStation, WAP and WinCE technology.

CSL   Media  Ltd  creates  digital  marketing  products  such   as
demonstration disks using PC and Sony PlayStation software  for  a
range   of  clients  including  Hasbro,  Virgin  Interactive   and
Electronic  Arts. CSL holds a pan-European licence  from  Sony  to
publish promotional disks on the PlayStation format. CSL is also a
licensed  developer  of  WAP products, and  will  work  on  mobile
information solutions for Future Publishing.

Future  already  offers marketing solutions  to  the  video  games
industry  through its magazines and websites, and the  acquisition
of  CSL will extend its range of offerings into point of sale  and
demo disk publishing, so providing a complete marketing portfolio.

CSL  will benefit from Future's strong relationships with software
publishers in the UK, France, Holland, Italy and Germany, as  well
as  being able to offer cover disks to Future's licensees in other
countries in Europe.

CSL's software skills, particularly in user interface development,
will  also  enable  Future to make improvements to  its  extensive
range of magazine cover-mounted disks. An area of strength for CSL
is  the  development of integrated media incorporating disk  based
and on-line elements, which will become increasingly important  in
the coming years with the next generation of games consoles.

'CSL  is  an excellent, fast growing business with many  synergies
with  Future.  We  can help CSL grow its revenues  across  Europe,
while  CSL  can  assist  Future with vital  software  development.
Together,  we can offer a unique integrated marketing solution  to
the  video  games  industry.'  Said Future  Publishing's  MD  Jane
Ingham.

CSL's  managing director, Simon Richardson, will be joining Future
as  part  of the deal. He commented: 'I'm tremendously excited  by
the  potential  synergies between CSL and  Future,  especially  in
Europe. '


For further information:

Jane Ingham                         Tel: [phone]
Managing Director
Future Publishing Ltd

Stuart Anderton                     Tel: [phone]
Strategic Development Manager
Future Publishing Ltd

James Longfield/Harriet Keen        Tel: [phone]
Hogarth Partnership


Background on The Future Network:

The Future Network was founded in the UK in 1985.  Today Future
publishes 130 magazines and Internet networks worldwide and has
extensive online activities generating over 58 million page views
per month.  It is the world's fastest growing major publisher; is
the leading publisher of video games and home computing magazines
in the UK, France, Italy and the US; and, ranks as the fourth
largest magazine publisher in the UK.  Future employs over 1,400
people in offices in Bath, London, San Francisco, New York, Paris,
Milan, Munich and Rotterdam.  Future was floated on the London
Stock Exchange in June 1999 and has a current market
capitalisation of over £1 billion.

Future's internet activities (FutureNet) serve the PC, Mac, Games,
Music and Football communities in the US and the UK with sites
like maximumpc.com, maximumpc.co.uk, macdaily.com, dailyradar.com,
samplenet.co.uk, and ufn.co.uk.  Future's websites and web
networks provides rich, community and information-based services
to people in these and related markets worldwide.  The network
model is simple, but effective: Aggregate content (from Future's
own magazines and from other sites which become affiliated into
the online networks) and provide services (such as e-commerce,
auctions, e-mail and discussion forums) to build high traffic in
concentrated areas that will be of great value to marketers.